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Updated: Oct 8, 2025
09:19
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo
Published on: February 6, 2015
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Testing terror management theory in advanced cancer.
Elsy Willis1, Kenneth Mah1, Gilla K Shapiro1,2
1Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Death Studies
|December 27, 2021
Summary
Terror management theory (TMT) suggests that psychological defenses buffer death anxiety. In advanced cancer patients, strong defenses like attachment security, meaning, and self-esteem significantly lowered death anxiety related to physical impairment.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Oncology
- Sociology
Background:
- Advanced cancer patients frequently experience heightened death anxiety due to increased mortality salience.
- Terror management theory (TMT) posits that psychological defenses mitigate existential concerns, including death anxiety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the buffering effect of distal defenses against mortality salience in advanced cancer patients.
- To evaluate the role of attachment security, meaning, and self-esteem in mitigating death anxiety.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 305 advanced cancer patients.
- Assessed the impact of physical impairment (as a proxy for mortality salience) on death anxiety.
- Examined the moderating influence of distal defenses (attachment security, meaning, self-esteem).
Main Results:
- Patients possessing a greater number of strong distal defenses reported significantly lower levels of death anxiety.
- Conversely, patients with few or no strong defenses exhibited higher death anxiety.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the applicability of Terror Management Theory (TMT) in populations confronting imminent mortality.
- Highlights the importance of psychological buffers, such as attachment security, meaning, and self-esteem, in managing death anxiety among cancer patients.
- Suggests avenues for future TMT research in clinical populations facing existential threats.
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