Chapter 7
Death and Grief
Death Anxiety
Anxiety or fear of death and dying
Some people believe - release of physical and emotional pain
Reasons why death is feared:
» Fear of physical suffering:
o Fear of physical illnesses - lead to the removal of certain body parts,
o Dependency and loss of control = result
» Fear of isolation and loneliness:
o People act strangely towards dying persons
o Do not know how to handle the situation, this could lead to
o Older people fearing death - be isolated and lonely when dying
» Fear of non-being:
o Knowledge of inevitable death / non-existence = intense anxiety
» Fear of cowardice and humiliation:
o They fear that they will become cowards in the face of death
» Fear of failing to achieve important goals:
o People fear death - deprive them of achievement.
» Fear of the effect of death on those who outlive you:
o Fear the financial / psychological/ emotional effect their death may have on
loved ones
» Fear of punishment or of the unknown:
o Some religions – sinners = doomed after death
o Causing a fear that they may fall into this category
» Fear of the death of others:
o Fear might lose a loved on = psychological suffering
o Extreme cases – thanatophobia (abnormal and excessive fear of death and
dying that could consume thinking /behaviour
o Becomes difficult to engage in normal daily activities with any pleasure.
Factors determine the occurrence and intensity of death anxiety
» Age
o Fear of death - changes with age.
o Young adults avoid thinking of death,
There are times (when taken ill or when seriously injured) = they are
most afraid of death.
Might die too soon
o During middle adulthood - fear if death centres = loss of loved ones.
o People in late adulthood are less anxious than in middle adulthood.
Reduced emotional reactivity
Better ability to manage their emotional states.
, Grief reactions – shorter lived / less intense
o Emotional reactivity – declines in late life
Biological reduction in autonomic arousal
Better adjustment to emotional life events
Adherence to cultural norms – elderly not too emotional
Shift in relative value of emotions VS cognition
Gradually restructure cognitions / emotions to accept own mortality
Possess wisdom – help minimise loss related distress
Respond with more composure / acceptance
o Erikson - high ego integrity = lower death anxiety
» Gender
o Women (various cultures) show higher levels of death anxiety than men do.
o Explanations
Women in general have higher anxiety levels than men do
Differences in emotional expressiveness
Women - emotional terms
Men - cognitively.
Men - higher self-esteem than women = have less fear of death.
» Religion:
o The group - highest level of death anxiety = moderately religious.
o They believed in afterlife,
o Afraid that they might go to Hell.
» Personality characteristics:
o High self-esteem = buffer (protector) against death anxiety.
Have belief / self- confidence = able to cope
o Psychological problems = may contribute to death anxiety.
o Higher sense of purpose in life = lower fear of death.
o Score high on past-related regret (things that the individual did, or neglected
to do in the past) and future-related regret (things the individual may not be
able to do in the future) = higher levels of fear of death.
o Relationship between low self-efficacy and a high death anxiety.
Stages of dying
Elizabeth Kübler-Ross: Stages of Dying (Stages of Reactions to Death):
» Denial:
o Serves as a buffer against a reality the individual cannot yet accept.
o The first typical reaction
o
» Anger:
o May be directed at close relatives
o Hospital staff and God – who are blamed for the individual’s condition.
» Bargaining:
o Try to negotiate (with God,)
o Attempt to postpone their death.
» Depression:
o May withdraw and cry easily.
Death and Grief
Death Anxiety
Anxiety or fear of death and dying
Some people believe - release of physical and emotional pain
Reasons why death is feared:
» Fear of physical suffering:
o Fear of physical illnesses - lead to the removal of certain body parts,
o Dependency and loss of control = result
» Fear of isolation and loneliness:
o People act strangely towards dying persons
o Do not know how to handle the situation, this could lead to
o Older people fearing death - be isolated and lonely when dying
» Fear of non-being:
o Knowledge of inevitable death / non-existence = intense anxiety
» Fear of cowardice and humiliation:
o They fear that they will become cowards in the face of death
» Fear of failing to achieve important goals:
o People fear death - deprive them of achievement.
» Fear of the effect of death on those who outlive you:
o Fear the financial / psychological/ emotional effect their death may have on
loved ones
» Fear of punishment or of the unknown:
o Some religions – sinners = doomed after death
o Causing a fear that they may fall into this category
» Fear of the death of others:
o Fear might lose a loved on = psychological suffering
o Extreme cases – thanatophobia (abnormal and excessive fear of death and
dying that could consume thinking /behaviour
o Becomes difficult to engage in normal daily activities with any pleasure.
Factors determine the occurrence and intensity of death anxiety
» Age
o Fear of death - changes with age.
o Young adults avoid thinking of death,
There are times (when taken ill or when seriously injured) = they are
most afraid of death.
Might die too soon
o During middle adulthood - fear if death centres = loss of loved ones.
o People in late adulthood are less anxious than in middle adulthood.
Reduced emotional reactivity
Better ability to manage their emotional states.
, Grief reactions – shorter lived / less intense
o Emotional reactivity – declines in late life
Biological reduction in autonomic arousal
Better adjustment to emotional life events
Adherence to cultural norms – elderly not too emotional
Shift in relative value of emotions VS cognition
Gradually restructure cognitions / emotions to accept own mortality
Possess wisdom – help minimise loss related distress
Respond with more composure / acceptance
o Erikson - high ego integrity = lower death anxiety
» Gender
o Women (various cultures) show higher levels of death anxiety than men do.
o Explanations
Women in general have higher anxiety levels than men do
Differences in emotional expressiveness
Women - emotional terms
Men - cognitively.
Men - higher self-esteem than women = have less fear of death.
» Religion:
o The group - highest level of death anxiety = moderately religious.
o They believed in afterlife,
o Afraid that they might go to Hell.
» Personality characteristics:
o High self-esteem = buffer (protector) against death anxiety.
Have belief / self- confidence = able to cope
o Psychological problems = may contribute to death anxiety.
o Higher sense of purpose in life = lower fear of death.
o Score high on past-related regret (things that the individual did, or neglected
to do in the past) and future-related regret (things the individual may not be
able to do in the future) = higher levels of fear of death.
o Relationship between low self-efficacy and a high death anxiety.
Stages of dying
Elizabeth Kübler-Ross: Stages of Dying (Stages of Reactions to Death):
» Denial:
o Serves as a buffer against a reality the individual cannot yet accept.
o The first typical reaction
o
» Anger:
o May be directed at close relatives
o Hospital staff and God – who are blamed for the individual’s condition.
» Bargaining:
o Try to negotiate (with God,)
o Attempt to postpone their death.
» Depression:
o May withdraw and cry easily.
