Group identification alleviates death anxiety in military medical students: chain mediating role of self-esteem and collective self-esteem

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effects of group identification on death anxiety among military medical students and the chain mediating effects of self-esteem and collective self-esteem. Methods Cluster sampling was conducted to survey the students in a military medical university in July, 2021, and finally survey data from 360 participants were collected through WeChat Mini Program, Questionnaire Star. The Questionnaires included Templer Death Anxiety Scale (T-DAS), Organizational Identification Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale-Revised (RSES-R), Collective Self-Esteem Scale and a self-designed general information questionnaire. Results ① The score of death anxiety in the participants ranged from 1.00 to 4.33 (M=2.60). ②The scores of group identification, self-esteem and collective self-esteem were negatively correlated with death anxiety (r=-0.56~-0.21, P < 0.01). Significantly positive correlations were observed in any 2 scores among the above 3 scores (r=0.42~0.68, P < 0.01). ③ Group identification significantly negatively predicted death anxiety (b=-0.21, SE=0.02, P < 0.001). ④ There were 3 mediation effects between group identification and death anxiety: group identification→self-esteem→death anxiety, group identification→collective self-esteem→death anxiety, group identification→self-esteem→collective self-esteem→death anxiety, with a total indirect effect of -017. Conclusion Group identification can negatively predict death anxiety among military medical students, and self-esteem and collective self-esteem play a chain mediating role between them.

Keywords

• military medical students
• group identification
• death anxiety
• self-esteem
• collective self-esteem