The Relationship Between Death Anxiety and Spiritual Care Needs in Intensive Care Patients

Death anxiety is a significant psychological concern among critically ill patients, and its relationship with spiritual care needs has gained increasing attention in intensive care settings. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between death anxiety and spiritual care needs in intensive care patients.

This descriptive and correlational study was carried out with a sample of 90 intensive care patients. The Participant Characteristics Form, Death Anxiety Scale and Spiritual Care Needs Scale were used as data collection instruments and analysed using descriptive statistics, pearson correlation and multiple linear regression. The STROBE checklist was utilised for reporting.

Analyses revealed that intensive care patients had moderate death anxiety and high spiritual care needs. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the model significantly predicted participants' total Death Anxiety Scale scores (F = 6.662, p < 0.01). The total Spiritual Care Needs Scale score was positively associated with the Death Anxiety Scale score (p = 0.004). The independent variables in the model explained 18.9% of the variance in Death Anxiety Scale scores (R² = 0.189).

Higher spiritual care needs were associated with increased death anxiety among intensive care patients. These findings highlight the importance of integrating spiritual care into holistic patient management in critical care settings.