Modeling Structural Equations for Predicting Death Anxiety Associated with COVID-19 Based on Mediating Roles of Emotion Regulation and Meaning in Life

Life and death became significant issues with the outbreak of the COVID-19 and its aftermath. Previous studies have shown that having meaning in life and the ability to regulate emotion can play effective roles in coping with death anxiety. The present study investigated the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and death anxiety with the mediating roles of emotion regulation and meaning in life.

In this correlational study, the study population included all adults aged 18 to 60 years in Mashhad, Iran 2020-2021, of whom 583 were selected via convenience sampling. Data were collected using Persian version of Templer Death Anxiety Questionnaire, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). Correlation and causality relationships were investigated using path analysis in SPSS V25 SPSS and AMOS V24.

A significant positive correlation was found between death anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety (r=0.31) and difficulty in emotion regulation (r=0.47). On the other hand, there was a significant negative correlation between death anxiety and meaning in life (r=-0.43). COVID-19 anxiety could indirectly predict death anxiety due to the difficulty in emotion regulation and presence of meaning in life.

COVID-19 anxiety, emotion regulation, and meaning in life play key roles in death anxiety. Therefore, teaching emotion regulation techniques and having deeper meaning in life play major preventive roles in development of death anxiety associated with COVID-19.