Death Anxiety and Intrusive Thinking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract. COVID-19 has expanded into a life-threatening global pandemic. We examined COVID-19 effects on trauma measures, loneliness, and death anxiety in senior Israelis. Young and old adults ( N = 277) were recruited through social media. They completed online questionnaires assessing mental status during the crisis. The findings yielded correlations between trauma reactions, death anxiety, and loneliness, age-related change in rates of death anxiety and traumatic symptoms, but not in perceived loneliness. Trauma-related intrusive thinking was predicted by age, loneliness, death anxiety, and being in isolation. Traumatic reactions, as indicated by DSM-V, were observed for young adults, while grandchildren were found to be protective for older adults. Conclusions point to a high risk of postcrisis symptoms in older adults. The article recommends methods for maintaining mental health, highlighting the role of social interaction.