Death anxiety, religiosity and culture – future research directions

Humans are subjected to death anxiety regularly, and it is multifaceted. Although there has been a spike in global interest in death fear, much of the literature focuses on the concept of death anxiety, religion, and its role in mental health issues. Furthermore, research on death anxiety is widespread and, at times, contradictory in research methodology writing service. It’s critical to go over the available literature to understand the current research direction and its relation to therapeutic processes. This blog aims to review the theoretical frameworks of death anxiety, religiosity, and cultural variance in death anxiety. Clients’ death anxiety must be assessed and addressed through religious rituals and coping methods.

Introduction

Death anxiety is an inherent part of our life, regardless of culture or religion. It is multidimensional and may be explained using a variety of theoretical frameworks in research methodology academic writing. Death is an unavoidable occurrence that causes a decreased sense of security and increased anxiety. Even though there has been a surge in interest in death anxiety discussions throughout the world, much of the research focuses on the concept of death anxiety, religiosity, and its role in mental health disorders. Furthermore, research on death anxiety is dispersed and, at times, contradictory. It hinders a common understanding of death phobia and directs the development of therapeutic interventions. It is critical to evaluate existing literature to understand the current state of research and its relation to the therapeutic process.

Types of Death Anxieties

The fear of pain and the unknown, separation from loved ones and the irreversible end of existence after death cause death anxiety. Three types of death anxiety are listed here:

1) Predatory death anxiety is triggered by external situations that may be physically or psychologically dangerous, and anxiety ensures the organism’s survival in the face of adversity;

2) Predator death anxiety is triggered by an individual harming someone either physically or mentally and is often accompanied by unconscious guilt that may compel an individual to punish oneself; and

3) Existential death anxiety is triggered by an individual harming someone either physically or mentally.

Theories on Death Anxiety

Death as self-defeating, profound transformation, a challenge to the purpose of life, and a threat to the fulfilment of life potential are four recurring themes in these views. There are many different viewpoints on death fear because of the wide range of theoretical methods; nonetheless, these theories share many principles. It means that threats to death anxiety may be divided into external reasons, such as presence and the search for purpose in life, and internal self-evaluation.

Religiosity and Death Anxiety

Many research has been conducted to see if death anxiety and religiosity are linked. Intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity were highlighted as mutually incompatible elements of religiosity. Others with strong intrinsic religiosity perceive religion as a source of comfort, console, and social connections in Medicine & Allied Health Dissertation, whereas people with high extrinsic religiosity view religion as a comfort, console, and social connection. Numerous research back up this claim; for example, persons with more intrinsic religiosity had lower death anxiety than those with strong extrinsic religiosity.

Cultural Variation in Death Anxiety

Non-Indian samples were used in research comparing death anxiety across cultures, and the results were surprising: non-Indian selections had higher death anxiety than eastern samples. This reveals cultural differences in death anxiety.

Psychological Effects of Death Anxiety

When death anxiety is triggered, studies show that people become increasingly protective in damaging ways to themselves and others. Although people may embrace life more fully at first, most people eventually adapt to a more defensive posture. However, these emotions differ depending on religious affiliation, age, and gender, as we described earlier. People with death anxiety deny death to protect themselves, and they fail to recognize other vital and meaningful aspects of their lives by placing a high value on insignificant issues.

A belief in religion, according to studies, is a denial of death. Some people justify death by adopting a more philosophical stance to avoid feeling sad about their mortality. Others may think that someone—a love partner, a guru, or someone else—will save them in the final. Some defences against death anxiety have positive side effects, such as symbolic immortality, finding permanent psychology research methodology, significance in commitment to family, friends, and the wider public, and seeking to leave a positive legacy. Other protections, such as passing one’s genes to offspring, are often ineffective.

Death Anxiety and Mental Health Conditions

Recent research has proven the symptomatology of different diseases, including anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and eating disorders.

Only a few research studies have analyzed the role of death anxiety in mental diseases as a cause. This research found that death anxiety enhances phobics’ avoidance of fear-inducing stimuli, social avoidance and attentional biases toward threats in the socially anxious, and even women’s limited consumption of high-calorie meals, implying that death anxiety plays a role in eating disorders. As a result, our data show that death fear causes anxious behaviour in those worried about their health.

Implications for Therapeutic Process

Because death anxiety is a common underlying cause of many mental illnesses, mental health providers should screen for it and help patients deal with it during therapy sessions. If death dread is not handled, psychopathology may persist, relapse, or appear in other mental diseases. As a result, mental health consultants should be trained in analyzing the underlying processes of death anxiety, understanding religious and cultural beliefs and rituals associated with death, and utilizing clients’ personal, religious, and spiritual resources to deal with death anxiety in medical research methodology. Spiritual and religious therapies to reduce death anxieties can be used in various group counselling and therapy settings, including psychoeducational groups, group psychotherapy groups, and 12-step groups literature research methodology. Here, a competency-based paradigm may improve counsellor/clinician competencies by increasing sensitivity to spiritual and religious attitudes, allowing for improved response to clients’ needs, values, and preferences.

Conclusion

The majority of the material evaluated came from Western nations, and data on this issue in South Asia is limited. As a result, more study in this area is required. The multifaceted nature of death anxiety and religion is complicated, and as a result, a survey on these topics is lacking. To research death anxiety, a multidimensional definition of religiosity should be used. Many cross-cultural researchers have explored the influence of cultures on death anxiety; however, these studies have mostly disregarded the probable mechanisms that support the relationship between various cultures and death anxiety. Examining the mechanisms behind cross-cultural disparities in death anxiety might assist mental health professionals in better understanding death anxiety in a varied population. As a result, psychologists and other social scientists should prioritize global research.

Even though spirituality and religion concerns are known to aid therapeutic processes, a systematic study indicated that religious subjects are underrepresented in current training programs. Death anxiety evaluation and spiritual and religious beliefs and practices should be included in the academic curriculum of psychiatry, clinical psychology, and counselling.

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References

1. Pandya, Apurva-kumar, and Tripti Kathuria. “Death anxiety, religiosity and culture: Implications for the therapeutic process and future research.” Religions1 (2021): 61.
2. Alkozei, Anna, Ryan Smith, Lauren A. Demers, Mareen Weber, Sarah M. Berryhill, and William D. S. Killgore. 2019. Increases in emotional intelligence after an online training program are associated with better decision-making on the Iowa gambling task. Psychological Reports 122: 853–79
3. Bakan, Ayse Berivan, Senay Karadag Arli, and Metin Yıldız. 2019. Relationship Between Religious Orientation and Death Anxiety in Elderly Individuals. Journal of Religion and Health 58: 2241–50