Fear, death anxiety, and religious coping in response to COVID-19 among older adults in Turkey.
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| Title: | Fear, death anxiety, and religious coping in response to COVID-19 among older adults in Turkey. |
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| Authors: | Arıkan, Emine, Kalav, Simge, Özkan, İlknur |
| Source: | Educational Gerontology. Jan2025, Vol. 51 Issue 1, p102-112. 11p. |
| Subjects: | Death & psychology, Attitudes toward death, Fear, Cross-sectional method, Academic medical centers, Statistical sampling, Sex distribution, Anxiety, Psychological adaptation, Descriptive statistics, Age distribution, Family relations, COVID-19 vaccines, Chronic diseases, Religion, Anxiety testing, Inferential statistics, Marital status, Economic impact, Psychological tests, COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19, Fear of death, Educational attainment, Old age |
| Geographic Terms: | Turkey |
| Abstract: | This study examined fear, death anxiety, and religious coping in older adults during COVID-19, emphasizing the pandemic's psychological impact. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 and April 2022 at a university-affiliated Research and Training Hospital Family Medicine polyclinic. The study included 284 voluntary participants aged 65 and above, with no communication issues, recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Socio-Demographic Information Form, COVID-19 Fear Scale, Religious Coping Scale, and Templer Death Anxiety Scale, and analyzed with SPSS software for descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicated a medium level of COVID-19 fear, with singles, those living alone, and individuals who had contracted COVID-19 showing higher fear levels. Female participants reported significantly higher death anxiety. Primary and secondary education graduates relied more on religious coping, which was less common among those who had experienced COVID-19. A negative correlation was found between social-religious coping and death anxiety, while a positive correlation existed between death anxiety and COVID-19 fear. The study highlights that older adults continue to experience moderate levels of COVID-19-related fear and death anxiety. High reliance on religious coping strategies effectively reduces death anxiety. Based on these findings, integrating spiritual support services in healthcare and implementing gender-sensitive mental health interventions are recommended to better support older adults' psychological needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | This study examined fear, death anxiety, and religious coping in older adults during COVID-19, emphasizing the pandemic's psychological impact. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 and April 2022 at a university-affiliated Research and Training Hospital Family Medicine polyclinic. The study included 284 voluntary participants aged 65 and above, with no communication issues, recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Socio-Demographic Information Form, COVID-19 Fear Scale, Religious Coping Scale, and Templer Death Anxiety Scale, and analyzed with SPSS software for descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicated a medium level of COVID-19 fear, with singles, those living alone, and individuals who had contracted COVID-19 showing higher fear levels. Female participants reported significantly higher death anxiety. Primary and secondary education graduates relied more on religious coping, which was less common among those who had experienced COVID-19. A negative correlation was found between social-religious coping and death anxiety, while a positive correlation existed between death anxiety and COVID-19 fear. The study highlights that older adults continue to experience moderate levels of COVID-19-related fear and death anxiety. High reliance on religious coping strategies effectively reduces death anxiety. Based on these findings, integrating spiritual support services in healthcare and implementing gender-sensitive mental health interventions are recommended to better support older adults' psychological needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 03601277 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/03601277.2024.2437403 |
