The relationship Between Demographic Characteristics and Death Anxiety Amongst Iranian Middle-Aged Individuals

The present study aimed to examine the levels of death anxiety, the relationship between demographic variables and death anxiety among an Iranian middle-aged sample. Subjects were 55 volunteer middle-aged persons. They were selected by a convenient sampling. They completed the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety (ASDA). The mean ages were 52.63 (SD=4.52), men 52.25 (SD=4.70), and women 55.28 (SD=1.38), respectively. The mean score of the ASDA was 43.94 (SD=14.90), men 42.16 (SD=14.63), and women 50.28 (SD=17.32), respectively. On the ASDA, there were no significant associations between age, sex, education, and marital status and death anxiety total score. There were no significant differences between men and women in total scores of the ASDA. Limitations of the study are using of a self-report scale, selection of a middle-aged sample, a Muslim religion and an Iranian culture. Present results can be paid attention to psychological interventions for decreasing of death anxiety, with considering of demographic, psychological, personality, and clinical correlates of death anxiety, among middle-aged individuals and other age groups in Muslim countries in future studies.

Keywords:

Attitude toward death , death anxiety , death fear , demographic correlates , middle-aged population , Muslim , Iran