The Predicting Role of Aspirations, Self-Compassion, Self-Esteem, and Self-Knowledge on Death Anxiety among University Students

Death anxiety is a natural phenomenon, the absence of which could potentially put human life in danger. However, excessive death anxiety could disrupt normal life of people. Death anxiety is affected by various factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predicting role of aspirations, self-compassion, self-esteem, and self-knowledge on death anxiety among university students.

This study was of correlational design. Participants included undergraduate psychology students of Islamic Azad University, in the city of Lahijan, in the academic year of 2015-2016, among whom 160 students were selected using convenience sampling method. Data were collected using AI, the Self-Short Form Compassion Scale (SCS-SF), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Self-Cognition Scale (ISK), and Templar Death Anxiety Scale (TDAS). Data were analyzed via Pearson correlation and multiple regressions in SPSS software version 20.

The mean (SD) age was 23.7 (6.3) among female and 24.1 (6.4) male participants. Increased score death anxiety with the mean (SD) of 2.5 (0.3) was associated with increased score of importance of external aspirations with the mean (SD) of 6.2 (1.2), achieving external aspirations with the mean (SD) of 6.5 (1.1) (P<0.05), importance of physical desires with the mean (SD) of 7.1 (1.2) (P<0.01), the likelihood of achieving self-actualizing aspirations with the mean (SD) of 7.1 (1.1) (P<0.05), and self-esteem with the mean (SD) of 3.4 (0.5) (P<0.05). Self-knowledge was not significantly associated with death anxiety (P>0.05). In addition, increased score of compassion with the mean (SD) of 3.1 (0.5) was associated with decreased score of death anxiety (P<0.01); however, death anxiety was not associated with integrative selfknowledge. Significance of self-actualization (β=0.29) and self-esteem (β=0.19) significantly differentiated the variance of death anxiety.

The study showed that increased importance of external aspirations, likelihood of achieving external aspirations, importance of self-fulfilling desires, and likelihood of achieving self-esteem and selfesteem were associated with increased death anxiety. In addition, increased compassion was associated with decreased death anxiety, while self-knowledge was not associated with death anxiety.