Death anxiety (DA) – the fear of death, mortality, and the dying process – has been associated with a range of attitudes and behaviours in healthcare professionals. Although DA may impact person-centred care, the recommended approach in dementia care, this relationship has not been investigated. Moreover, the relationship between DA with end-of-life discussion and planning, another important component of dementia care, has also not been explored. The current study used a cross-sectional, correlational design to examine the relationship between DA, person-centred care, and attitudes related to communicating about death. It also explored the role of experiential avoidance. 107 healthcare professionals working in dementia care completed questionnaires online exploring the study variables. Results revealed that DA was positively associated with greater apprehension about talking about death and that a tendency towards avoidance was negatively associated with person-centred care. These findings suggest that DA could play a role in end-of-life discussions for dementia professionals and that the tendency to employ avoidance should be highlighted when considering training in person-centred care.
Date of Award | 22 Sept 2023 |
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Original language | English |
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Awarding Institution | |
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Supervisor | Ashley Vanstone (Supervisor) |
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Doctorate in Clinical Psychology: Main Research Portfolio: 1) A systematic scoping review of the role of death anxiety in obsessive-compulsive disorder; 2) An evaluation of group STrAtegies for RelaTives (START) for carers of people with dementia; 3) An exploratory study on the relationship between death and care attitudes in professionals working in dementia care.
Kwapong, B. (Author). 22 Sept 2023
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)