Relationship between Death Anxiety and Coping Strategies among Patients of Hepatitis C

Abstract

Objectives: The present study investigated the relationship between death anxiety and coping strategies among the patients with hepatitis C. The study has looked into investigating the gender differences in death anxiety and coping strategies. Material and Methods: The present study used two standardized scales; the death anxiety scale and brief cope scale were used to collect information from the participants. The snowball sampling technique was used to collect data of clinical groups from different hospitals in Punjab. The present study used a cross-sectional design. A sample of n = 200 patients of hepatitis C, n = 100 males and n = 100 females, were approached from the different hospitals of Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Gujar Khan. The duration of the study was 10 months that were March 2017–January 2018. Results: Findings indicated that the death anxiety was high among the patients of hepatitis C, while female hepatitis C patients have a high level of death anxiety than male hepatitis C patients. Moreover, findings suggested that male hepatitis C patients used problem-focused coping strategies more as compared to females; however, female hepatitis C patients use emotion-focused coping strategies as compared to males. Conclusion: The findings of the study would be helpful for the patients, their caregivers and families, and their doctors and psychologists to better understand the hepatitis C patients’ psychological problems caused by their medical illness. These findings would also prove helpful for society on the whole to have awareness about hepatitis C and to learn the ways to better treat the patients of hepatitis C.