روانشناسی پیری (May 2016)
The Relationship Between Finding Meaning in Life and Demographic Characteristics with Death Anxiety in the Elderly
Abstract
Given the diversity of anxiety, especially anxiety of death in the aging period and the growing elderly population, studying factors related to mental health in this period seems necessary. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between age and finding meaning in life and death anxiety in elderly men and women. This research was done in applied format in aim and correlative in implementation. The study population included all retired pensioners in association of education from 2005 to 2015 equaling to 26,000.The sample size according to population based on Chocran's formula was determined to be 380 people under which 190 women and 190 men were selected by convenience sampling. To measure the variables of aim at life questionnaires of Krambaf and Maholick (1969) and Templer Death Anxiety (1970) were used. To do data analysis, descriptive statistics including frequency, mean, standard deviation and the indexes of inferential statistics including Pearson correlation and regression analysis were used. The results of the research findings showed that finding meaning in life, aging and death anxiety in two groups of elderly men and women had a negative significant relationship and finding meaning at life and age can predict death anxiety in elderly men and women. Finally, the results of simultaneous regression showed that based on meaning finding in life and age, 27% of death anxiety in men and 29% of death anxiety in women can be predicted. Therefore, increasing meaning finding in life and age reduces death anxiety.
