Nurses’ Perception of Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Death Anxiety and Ageism

Abstract

Despite the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in relieving death anxiety and ageism among nurses, there is not a complete consensus on its acceptability, adherence, credibility, and expectancy in the literature. Therefore, this descriptive-comparative study aimed to examine Jordanian nurses’ perception of using CBT in relieving death anxiety and ageism. Most participants perceived CBT as a credible and adherable treatment for death anxiety and ageism. Significant differences were found in the CBT credibility and expectancy between nurses grouped according to levels of perceived treatment adherence and acceptability of CBT. The findings provide a promising avenue for adopting CBT to target death anxiety and its associated ageism among nurses and for improving CBT adherence, acceptability, credibility, and expectancy. A better understanding of participants’ perception of CBT is crucial for optimal clinical practice.