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Death anxiety among Chinese elderly people in Hong Kong
Anise M S Wu1, Catherine S K Tang, Timothy C Y Kwok
1Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong.
Objectives:
This study aims to examine the cognitive and emotional reactions of Chinese elderly people toward death, to extend the use of a Western scale on death anxiety to a Chinese sample, and to explore the correlates of death anxiety.
Methods:
A community sample of 237 Chinese elderly people (62 men and 175 women) in Hong Kong between the ages of 60 and 91 years old was individually interviewed.
Results:
Among this elderly cohort, a high level of death anxiety was associated with younger age, a high level of psychological distress, and the presence of recent stressors but was unrelated to number of physical disorders, gender, personal income, marital and employment status, and religious affiliations.
Discussion:
Reactions of Chinese elderly people toward specific death-related issues were discussed with regard to Chinese cultural beliefs. Limitations and implications of the present study were also discussed.