Death Anxiety and Religious Coping in Heart Failure Patients

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychology
• Oncology

Background:

• Heart failure is a chronic condition associated with significant psychological distress.
• Death anxiety is a common concern among patients with life-limiting illnesses.
• Religious coping is a widely used strategy to manage stress and existential concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the levels of death anxiety and religious coping in patients diagnosed with heart failure.
• To explore the relationship between death anxiety, religious coping, and clinical factors in heart failure patients.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving heart failure patients.
• Assessment of death anxiety using a standardized scale.
• Evaluation of religious coping strategies (positive and negative).
• Statistical analysis including correlation and regression.

Main Results:

• A majority of heart failure patients (62%) reported high death anxiety (score ≥7).
• Patients with heart failure for ≥3 years exhibited higher death anxiety levels.
• A weak positive correlation was found between death anxiety and both positive and negative religious coping.
• Death anxiety and hospitalization duration predicted positive religious coping, explaining 7.6% of the variance.

Conclusions:

• Heart failure patients commonly experience elevated levels of death anxiety.
• Positive religious coping is prevalent and appears to increase with rising death anxiety.
• Understanding these psychological aspects can inform supportive care interventions for heart failure patients.