The Investigation of Death Anxiety and Spiritual Well-Being Levels of Family Members of Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the death anxiety (DA) and spiritual well-being (SWB) levels of first-degree family members of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: The data of this descriptive correlational type of study were collected through a faceto-face interview and survey with 308 family members who came to visit family members treated in the ICU of a public hospital in the western province of Turkey. Results were analyzed with SPSS software version 22. Results: The average Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) score of the family members is 7.99 (3.15), which is above the middle value (min/max; 0-15), and the average Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) score is 121.83 (12.91), which is relatively high (min/max; 29-145). A positive, weak, and significant correlation existed between DAS and SWBS mean scores (r=0.20; P<0.05). Conclusion: As a result, the DA levels of family members increase with the thought of losing their patients in the ICU. During this period, family members of patients need spirituality more than ever to cope with increasing DA. In this study, a positive and significant correlation was found between the DA levels and SWB levels of the family members. According to this result, as family members’ DA increases, their spiritual needs also increase.