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Effect of Sociodemographic Variables on Health Anxiety and Death Anxiety Levels in COVID-19 Pandemic

Year 2022, , 21 - 27, 29.12.2022
https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.1009121

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate health anxiety and death anxiety levels in adult cases during the COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate the effect of sociodemographic variables. In this online study, 334 patients over the age of 18 were included. Health Anxiety Scale, Death Anxiety Scale and Sociodemographic Data Form were used in the research. The subscales of health anxiety showed a meaningful correlation between hypersensitivity to bodily findings and negative consequences of the disease and death anxiety. Death anxiety and health anxiety were found to be higher in women. It is statistically significant that health anxiety is more common in individuals aged 20-30 years and women with primary education degrees. Death anxiety was found to be associated with low socioeconomic status and health anxiety was associated with average socioeconomic status. Death anxiety was found to be associated with two of the health anxiety subscales. Sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, educational status and socioeconomic status are thought to be effective in both death anxiety and health anxiety.

References

  • Abdel-Khalek A M, Lester D. (2009) Death anxiety as related to somatic symptoms in two cultures. Psychol. Reports, 105(2), 409-410.
  • Abramowitz JS, Braddock A. (2008) Psychological treatment of health anxiety and hypochondriasis: Biopsychosoc. app. Hogrefe publishing.
  • Alexande J L et al. (2007). Women, anxiety and mood: a review of nomenclature, comorbidity and epidemiology. Expert Rev Neurother, 7(sup1), S45-S58.
  • Asmundson G J, Stapleton JA, Taylor S. (2004) Are avoidance and numbing distinct PTSD symptom clusters? Journal of Traumatic Stress: Official Publication of The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, 17(6), 467-475.
  • Aydemir Ö, Kirpinar I, Tülay S, Uykur B, Cengisiz C. (2013) Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the health anxiety inventory. Nöro Psik Arş, 50(4), 325.
  • Bahadır YE, Ayvat İ, Şiran B. (2018) Hastanede Yatan Hastalarda Sağlık Anksiyetesi ile Sağlık Programlarını İzleme Motivasyonları Arasındaki İlişki. Firat Tip Dergisi, 23(1). Dadfar M, Bahrami F. (2016) Reliability and factorial structure of the farsi version of the Arabic scale of death anxiety in an iranian middle-aged sample. Sci World J, 2016.
  • Ersoy Ö, Şahin FT. (1999) 0-6 yaş döneminde anne-baba eğitiminin önemi. Mesleki Eğ Derg, 1(1), 58-62.
  • Ertufan H. (2000) Bir grup tıp öğrencisi üzerinde ölüm kaygısı ve korkusu ölçeklerinin geçerlik güvenilirlik çalışması. Unpublished master’s thesis. İstanbul University, İstanbul.
  • Fallon BA, Schneier FR, Marshall R, Campeas R, Vermes D, Goetz D, Liebowitz MR. (1996) The pharmacotherapy of hypochondriasis. Psychopharmacol bull, 32(4), 607-611.
  • Iverach L, Menzies RG, Menzies RE. (2014) Death anxiety and its role in psychopathology: Reviewing the status of a transdiagnostic construct. Clin psychol rev, 34(7), 580-593.
  • Karaca, F. (2000). Ölüm psikolojisi. Beyan Yayınları.
  • MacSwain KLH, Sherry SB, Stewart SH, Watt MC. Hadjistavropoulos HD, Graham AR. (2009) Gender differences in health anxiety: An investigation of the interpersonal model of health anxiety. Pers Indiv Diff, 47(8), 938-943.
  • Momtaz Y A, Haron SA, Ibrahim R, Hamid T A. (2015) Spousal death anxiety in old age: gender perspective. OMEGA-J Death Dying, 72(1), 69-80.
  • Neimeyer RA, Van Brunt D. (2018) Death anxiety. In Dying: Facing the facts (pp. 49-88). Taylor & Francis.
  • Neimeyer, R A, Wittkowski J, Moser RP. (2004) Psychological research on death attitudes: An overview and evaluation. Death studies, 28(4), 309-340.
  • Newton-John T, Menzies R, Chambers S, Menzies R. (2020) Psychological Distress Associated with COVID-19: Estimations of Threat and the Relationship with Death Anxiety.
  • Russac R, Gatliff, C Reece M, Spottswood D. (2007) Death anxiety across the adult years: An examination of age and gender effects. Death studies, 31(6), 549-561.
  • Saatchi R. (2019) The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT (on Depression, Death Anxiety and Life Expectancy in Elderly Women. J Gerontol, 3(2), 11-20.
  • Salkovskis PM, Rimes KA, Warwick H, Clark D. (2002) The Health Anxiety Inventory: development and validation of scales for the measurement of health anxiety and hypochondriasis. Psychol Med, 32(5), 843-853.
  • Shakil M, Ashraf F, Muazzam A, Amjad M, Javed S. (2020) Work status, death anxiety and psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic: Implications of the terror management theory. Death studies, 1-6.
  • Singh, A. Singh, D. & Nizamie, S. (2003) Death and dying. Mental Health Reviews, 5(2), 22-47.
  • Torales J, O’Higgins, M Castaldelli-Maia, JM, Ventriglio A. (2020) The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health. Int J Soc Psych, 66(4), 317-320.
  • Wang YD, Y Ye, Wei W. (2021) Study on the public psychological states and its related factors during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in some regions of China. Psychology, health & medicine, 26(1), 13-22.
  • Wilhelmsen I. (2017) Hypochondriasis or health anxiety.
  • Wink P, Scott J. (2005) Does religiousness buffer against the fear of death and dying in late adulthood? Findings from a longitudinal study. J Gerontol Ser B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60(4), P207-P214.
  • Wu KK, Chan SK, Ma TM. (2005) Posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression in survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Journal of Traumatic Stress: Official Publication of Int Soc Traum Stress Stud, 18(1), 39-42.
  • Çınar M. (2015) Yetişkin ve yaşlılarda Tanrı’ya bağlama tarzı ve ölüm kaygısı ilişkisi üzerine bir araştırma. Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Yüksek Lisans Tezi.
  • Özdin S, Bayrak Özdin Ş. (2020) Levels and predictors of anxiety, depression and health anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkish society: The importance of gender. International J Soc Psych, 66(5), 504-511.
  • Öztürk Z, Karakuş G, Tamam L. (2011) Yaşlı bireylerde ölüm kaygısı. Anadolul Psikiyatri Derg, 12(1), 37-43.
  • Şimşekoğlu N, Mayda A. Düzce Üniversitesi Araştırma ve Uygulama Hastanesi’nde görevli hemşirelerin sağlıklı yaşam biçimi davranışları ve sağlık kaygısı düzeyleri Yüksek Lisans Tezi), Atilla Senih Mayda, Düzce, 2013 30. Bayrak Özarslan B …].

COVID-19 Salgınında Sağlık Anksiyetesi ve Ölüm Anksiyetesi Düzeylerine Sosyodemografik Değişkenlerinin Etkisi

Year 2022, , 21 - 27, 29.12.2022
https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.1009121

Abstract

Bu çalışmada COVID-19 salgını sırasında erişkin vakalarda sağlık anksiyetesi ve ölüm anksiyetesinin alt ölçekleriyle ilişkilendirilmesi ve sosyodemografik değişkenlerin etkisinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmaya 18 yaşın üzerindeki 334 hasta internet üzerinden çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Araştırmada Sağlık Anksiyete Ölçeği, Ölüm Anksiyete Ölçeği ve Sosyodemografik Veri Formu kullanılmıştır. Sağlık anksiyetesinin alt ölçekleri, bedensel bulgulara aşırı duyarlılık ile hastalığın olumsuz sonuçları ve ölüm anksiyetesi arasında önemli bir korelasyon göstermiştir. Ölüm anksiyetesi ve sağlık kaygısı kadınlarda daha yüksek bulunmuştur. 20-30 yaş arası bireylerde ve ilköğretim mezunu kadınlarda sağlık kaygısı daha sık görülürdüğü saptanmıştır. Ölüm anksiyetesi düşük sosyoekonomik durum ile, sağlık anksiyetesi ise ortalama sosyoekonomik durum ile ilişkili bulunmuştur. Sağlık anksiyetesi alt ölçeklerinden iki tanesi ile ölüm anksiyetesi ilişkili bulunmuştur. Yaş, cinsiyet, eğitim durumu ve sosyoekonomik durum gibi sosyodemografik değişkenlerin ölüm anksiyetesi ve sağlık kaygısında etkili olduğu düşünülmektedir.

References

  • Abdel-Khalek A M, Lester D. (2009) Death anxiety as related to somatic symptoms in two cultures. Psychol. Reports, 105(2), 409-410.
  • Abramowitz JS, Braddock A. (2008) Psychological treatment of health anxiety and hypochondriasis: Biopsychosoc. app. Hogrefe publishing.
  • Alexande J L et al. (2007). Women, anxiety and mood: a review of nomenclature, comorbidity and epidemiology. Expert Rev Neurother, 7(sup1), S45-S58.
  • Asmundson G J, Stapleton JA, Taylor S. (2004) Are avoidance and numbing distinct PTSD symptom clusters? Journal of Traumatic Stress: Official Publication of The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, 17(6), 467-475.
  • Aydemir Ö, Kirpinar I, Tülay S, Uykur B, Cengisiz C. (2013) Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the health anxiety inventory. Nöro Psik Arş, 50(4), 325.
  • Bahadır YE, Ayvat İ, Şiran B. (2018) Hastanede Yatan Hastalarda Sağlık Anksiyetesi ile Sağlık Programlarını İzleme Motivasyonları Arasındaki İlişki. Firat Tip Dergisi, 23(1). Dadfar M, Bahrami F. (2016) Reliability and factorial structure of the farsi version of the Arabic scale of death anxiety in an iranian middle-aged sample. Sci World J, 2016.
  • Ersoy Ö, Şahin FT. (1999) 0-6 yaş döneminde anne-baba eğitiminin önemi. Mesleki Eğ Derg, 1(1), 58-62.
  • Ertufan H. (2000) Bir grup tıp öğrencisi üzerinde ölüm kaygısı ve korkusu ölçeklerinin geçerlik güvenilirlik çalışması. Unpublished master’s thesis. İstanbul University, İstanbul.
  • Fallon BA, Schneier FR, Marshall R, Campeas R, Vermes D, Goetz D, Liebowitz MR. (1996) The pharmacotherapy of hypochondriasis. Psychopharmacol bull, 32(4), 607-611.
  • Iverach L, Menzies RG, Menzies RE. (2014) Death anxiety and its role in psychopathology: Reviewing the status of a transdiagnostic construct. Clin psychol rev, 34(7), 580-593.
  • Karaca, F. (2000). Ölüm psikolojisi. Beyan Yayınları.
  • MacSwain KLH, Sherry SB, Stewart SH, Watt MC. Hadjistavropoulos HD, Graham AR. (2009) Gender differences in health anxiety: An investigation of the interpersonal model of health anxiety. Pers Indiv Diff, 47(8), 938-943.
  • Momtaz Y A, Haron SA, Ibrahim R, Hamid T A. (2015) Spousal death anxiety in old age: gender perspective. OMEGA-J Death Dying, 72(1), 69-80.
  • Neimeyer RA, Van Brunt D. (2018) Death anxiety. In Dying: Facing the facts (pp. 49-88). Taylor & Francis.
  • Neimeyer, R A, Wittkowski J, Moser RP. (2004) Psychological research on death attitudes: An overview and evaluation. Death studies, 28(4), 309-340.
  • Newton-John T, Menzies R, Chambers S, Menzies R. (2020) Psychological Distress Associated with COVID-19: Estimations of Threat and the Relationship with Death Anxiety.
  • Russac R, Gatliff, C Reece M, Spottswood D. (2007) Death anxiety across the adult years: An examination of age and gender effects. Death studies, 31(6), 549-561.
  • Saatchi R. (2019) The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT (on Depression, Death Anxiety and Life Expectancy in Elderly Women. J Gerontol, 3(2), 11-20.
  • Salkovskis PM, Rimes KA, Warwick H, Clark D. (2002) The Health Anxiety Inventory: development and validation of scales for the measurement of health anxiety and hypochondriasis. Psychol Med, 32(5), 843-853.
  • Shakil M, Ashraf F, Muazzam A, Amjad M, Javed S. (2020) Work status, death anxiety and psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic: Implications of the terror management theory. Death studies, 1-6.
  • Singh, A. Singh, D. & Nizamie, S. (2003) Death and dying. Mental Health Reviews, 5(2), 22-47.
  • Torales J, O’Higgins, M Castaldelli-Maia, JM, Ventriglio A. (2020) The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health. Int J Soc Psych, 66(4), 317-320.
  • Wang YD, Y Ye, Wei W. (2021) Study on the public psychological states and its related factors during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in some regions of China. Psychology, health & medicine, 26(1), 13-22.
  • Wilhelmsen I. (2017) Hypochondriasis or health anxiety.
  • Wink P, Scott J. (2005) Does religiousness buffer against the fear of death and dying in late adulthood? Findings from a longitudinal study. J Gerontol Ser B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60(4), P207-P214.
  • Wu KK, Chan SK, Ma TM. (2005) Posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression in survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Journal of Traumatic Stress: Official Publication of Int Soc Traum Stress Stud, 18(1), 39-42.
  • Çınar M. (2015) Yetişkin ve yaşlılarda Tanrı’ya bağlama tarzı ve ölüm kaygısı ilişkisi üzerine bir araştırma. Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Yüksek Lisans Tezi.
  • Özdin S, Bayrak Özdin Ş. (2020) Levels and predictors of anxiety, depression and health anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkish society: The importance of gender. International J Soc Psych, 66(5), 504-511.
  • Öztürk Z, Karakuş G, Tamam L. (2011) Yaşlı bireylerde ölüm kaygısı. Anadolul Psikiyatri Derg, 12(1), 37-43.
  • Şimşekoğlu N, Mayda A. Düzce Üniversitesi Araştırma ve Uygulama Hastanesi’nde görevli hemşirelerin sağlıklı yaşam biçimi davranışları ve sağlık kaygısı düzeyleri Yüksek Lisans Tezi), Atilla Senih Mayda, Düzce, 2013 30. Bayrak Özarslan B …].
There are 30 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Psychiatry
Journal Section Research
Authors

Aysun Alioğulları This is me 0000-0002-2702-5908

Arzu Önal Sönmez 0000-0001-7370-9211

Ayten Erdoğan 0000-0001-5259-1154

Publication Date December 29, 2022
Acceptance Date February 3, 2022
Published in Issue Year 2022

Cite

AMA Alioğulları A, Önal Sönmez A, Erdoğan A. Effect of Sociodemographic Variables on Health Anxiety and Death Anxiety Levels in COVID-19 Pandemic. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar. December 2022;14(Ek 1):21-27. doi:10.18863/pgy.1009121

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