Death Anxiety and Life Expectancy among Older Adults in Iran

Incidence of Death Anxiety in Palliative Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: To explore the incidence of death anxiety in palliative care patients, find some existing and potential causes, and put forward suggestions. Methods: Publication bias, sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and regression analysis were also conducted to explore the sources of the heterogeneity in our analysis. Results: The 607 studies were obtained, and 20 studies were included after reading the articles and quality evaluation. The incidence of death anxiety in patients was 0.44 (95%CI:0.38,0.51, p < 0.001). and heterogeneity was significant (I2 = 98.2%, p < 0.001). In the test of regression analysis, the average age (I2 = 98.15%, R2 = - 6.99%, p < 0.001); in gender (I2 = 97.84%, R2 = 1.14%, p < 0.001), its heterogeneity was also significant. Conclusion: The incidence of death anxiety is relatively high. More often occur in elderly female patients. This requires more attention to life itself rather than death.

Emotional distress and multimorbidity patterns in Chinese Han patients with osteoporosis: a network analysis

With the aging of the population, the prevalence of osteoporosis and multimorbidity is increasing. Patients with osteoporosis often experience varying levels of emotional distress, including anxiety and depression. However, few studies have explored the patterns of multiple conditions and their impact on patients' emotional distress. Here, we conducted a network analysis to explore the patterns of multimorbidities and their impact on emotional distress in 13,359 Chinese Han patients with osteoporosis. The results showed that multimorbidity was prevalent in Chinese patients with osteoporosis and increased with age, and was more frequent in males than in females, with the most common pattern of multimorbidity being osteoporosis and essential (primary) hypertension. Finally, we found that patients' emotional distress increased with the number of multimorbidities, especially in female patients, and identified eight multimorbidities with high correlation to patients' emotional distress.

Loneliness and Death Anxiety: Differences Between Active and Bedridden Older Men

Physical activity might be impact on death anxiety and loneliness in adult people. Accordingly, the present study examined loneliness and death anxiety in two groups of active and bedridden older men living in nursing homes in Yazd. This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted on older men living in nursing homes in Yazd, Iran. The participants were 148 older men who were randomly selected. The instruments used to collect the data were the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA-S) and the Death Anxiety Scale One-way ANOVA was also used. The findings indicated the active older men scored lower in loneliness and death compared to the bedridden older men. Loneliness and death anxiety are important psychological components that are more common in inactive older than their active counterparts. Therefore, physical activity in old age can improve older adults' quality of life.

The effect of group reminiscence therapy on death anxiety and adaptation of the elderly to old age

AIM

In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of group reminiscence on death anxiety and adaptation of the elderly to old age.

METHODS

This is a clinical trial study. Using simple random sampling method, we divided 32 elderly people into the intervention (n = 16) and control (n = 16) groups. Reminiscence therapy was held in 12 sessions. The study instruments including demographic characteristics questionnaire, Mini Mental Status Examination, Templer Death Anxiety, and aging adjustment questionnaires were filled out by the samples in 3 steps before the intervention, after the last day of the intervention, and 30 days after the end of the interventional sessions.

RESULTS

In the intervention group, the mean score of death anxiety and adjustment to old age before the intervention showed a statistically significant difference with the post-intervention stages (P < 0.05); however, in the control group, the mean scores of death anxiety and adjustment to old age in the 3 steps were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Also, no statistically significant difference was found between the intervention and control groups before the intervention (P > 0.05), but there was a statistically significant relationship in the steps immediately after the last day of the intervention and 30 days after the end of the interventional sessions (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study indicate that reminiscence therapy is able to effectively reduce the anxiety of death in the elderly; also, reminiscence therapy can be used to improve the adaptation ability of the elderly to old age.

The prevalence and risk factors of death anxiety and fear of COVID-19 in an Iranian community: A cross-sectional study

Background and Aims

COVID-19 has adversely impacted the public's mental health. One of the causes of psychopathology during the present pandemic is death anxiety and fear of COVID-19. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of death anxiety and fear of COVID-19 in Shiraz city, south of Iran.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 982 participants in Shiraz from October to November 2021. Data were collected using Templer's Death Anxiety Scale and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Trained interviewers collected data throughout different city districts. A data-driven approach (latent class analysis) was applied to categorize the participants and determine the risk factors.

Results

Among the participants, 507 (51.6%) were female, and 475 (48.4%) were male. The participants' mean age was 38.26 ± 15.16 years. Based on the analysis, 259 (26.4%), 512 (52.1%), and 211 (21.5%) participants had low, moderate, and severe levels of death anxiety. Also, 393 (40.06%) and 588 (59.94%) of the participants had low and high levels of fear, respectively. Higher death anxiety was significantly associated with being female, having an associate degree, being retired, share of medical expenditure from total expenditure of more than 10%, having a history of hospital admission due to COVID-19, history of COVID-19 in relatives, and having fear of COVID-19. Also, being female, expenses equal to income, history of hospital admission due to COVID-19, death in relatives, and higher death anxiety were linked to higher levels of fear of COVID-19.

Conclusions

Death anxiety and fear of COVID-19 are closely associated with each other and affected by various sociodemographic and economic factors. Given this pandemic's unpredictable nature and chronicity, interventions at the community level to support high-risk groups are crucial.

Death Anxiety in the Iranian Elderly: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study

The present study aimed to estimate the standard score of death anxiety in the Iranian elderly. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, national and international databases were searched from inception to January 2022. All the observational studies published in Persian and English, which reported a death anxiety score based on the Templer death anxiety scale, were selected. The standard score of death anxiety in the elderly was 50% (95% CI: 45-56). No correlation was observed between the year of publication (p = .092) and sample size (p = .94) with the standard score of death anxiety in the elderly. With increased age, death anxiety scores declined. Publication bias was not significant (p = .340). Iranian seniors achieved half of the total score of death anxiety, which indicated the average level of death anxiety. Providing training to effectively manage death anxiety is essential to preventing the adverse consequences of extreme death anxiety.

Influencing factors of attitudes towards death and demands for death education among community-dwelling Chinese older adults: a cross-sectional study

Background

Considering older adults are getting closer to the end-of-life and face death more directly. Attitudes to death not only affect the physical and mental health of older adults, but also affect their acceptance of hospice care, even the quality of death. This study aims to explore the status, influencing factors of attitudes toward death and demands of death education among the community-dwelling older adults in southwestern China.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was adopted to investigate 683 community-dwelling older adults in Chongqing, China. Non-parametric test and multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of different attitudes toward death of older adults in community.

Results

The multiple linear regression models showed that different dimensions of death attitudes were affected by one or more factors including number of diseases, discussion about life and death, marital status, and average income per month. And community-dwelling older adults have high level demand for death education.

Conclusions

Under the taboo culture of death in China, this study is one of the few studies on the attitudes toward death and the demands for death education of the community-dwelling older adults. This study contributes to enrich the global death studies and provide reference for the death education for older adults.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13655-2.

Depression and Anxiety-Free Life Expectancy by Sex and Urban-Rural Areas in Jiangxi, China in 2013 and 2018

Objective: To quantitatively estimate life expectancy (LE) and depression and anxiety-free life expectancy (DAFLE) for the years 2013 and 2018 in Jiangxi Province, China, by sex and urban–rural areas. Additionally, to compare the discrepancy of DAFLE/LE of different sexes and urban-rural areas over various years. Methods: Based on the summary of the health statistics of Jiangxi Province in 2013 and 2018 and the results of the 5th and 6th National Health Service Surveys in Jiangxi Province, the model life table is used to estimate the age-specific mortality rate by sex and urban–rural areas. Sullivan’s method was used to calculate DAFLE. Results: Data from 2013 indicate that those aged 15 can expect to live 56.20 years without depression and anxiety for men and 59.67 years without depression and anxiety for women. Compared to 2013, DAFLE had not fluctuated significantly in 2018. The proportion of life expectancy without depression and anxiety (DAFLE/LE) declined between 2013 and 2018. DAFLE/LE in urban areas was higher than in rural areas. Men had higher DAFLE/LE than women. From 2013 to 2018, the DAFLE aged 15 decreased by 0.18 years for urban men and decreased by 0.52 years for urban women, rural areas also decreased to varying degrees. Conclusions: Even if women had a longer life span than men, they would spend more time with depression or anxiety. DAFLE did not increase with the increase in LE from 2013 to 2018, suggesting an absolute expansion of the burden, especially in rural areas. Depression and anxiety health services in Jiangxi, China will face more serious obstacles and challenges, which may lead to more disability. This requires more attention and more effective measures from the public, medical departments and the government.