Levels of Death Anxiety in Terminally Ill Persons: A Cross Validation and Extension

Abstract

In order to explore the viability of the distinction between overt and covert levels of death fear, 141 individuals (32 HIV positive who had full-blown AIDS, 39 HIV positive without full-blown AIDS, 70 age-matched controls) were administered measures of conscious and unconscious death anxiety as well as a variety of self-report scales assessing life satisfaction, well-being, regrets about one's life, and hopelessness. While results suggested minimal differences to exist between the above groups for measures of conscious death fear, there were substantive, though in some respects, unanticipated differences across groups in aspects of covert fear tapping concerns about the interruption of goals and achievements, isolation from others, and pain, disease, and suffering. Results also suggested that there were both adjustment-related advantages and disadvantages associated with the appearance of symptoms signaling the appearance of full-blown AIDS. Neither gender nor the duration of time one had been living with the diagnosis of either HIV disease or AIDS influenced death fear.