The relationship between feeling of loneliness, source of control, and intolerance of ambiguity with death anxiety in the elderly during the COVID-19 era

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as a global epidemic, can cause widespread and irreparable disorders in the personal and social health. Although elderly people are more at risk, they receive less attention in this regard. This epidemic can affect the elderly in different ways, including the fear of contracting the virus and fear of death. This study aimed to determine the relationship between loneliness, locus of control, and intolerance of ambiguity with death anxiety in the elderly during the COVID-19 era.

Using cluster random sampling, this cross-sectional and analytical study included 309 elderly people in Islamabad-e Gharb, Iran in 2022. Data was collected using questionnaires on demographic variables, loneliness, locus of control, intolerance of ambiguity, and death anxiety. The collected data were statistically analyzed using logistic regression.

The mean age of participants was 70.69±6.28 years. The prevalence of death anxiety was 71.20% and it was statistically related to gender. The results of regression analysis showed that loneliness, external source of control, high uncertainty intolerance and gender could significantly predict death in the elderly.

According to our findings, more than half of the elderly experienced death anxiety. Loneliness, source of control, and intolerance of ambiguity play an important role in death anxiety of the elderly. Death anxiety among this population can be improved by designing psychological interventions based on the feeling of loneliness, source of control from external to internal, and intolerance of ambiguity from top to bottom.

Practical Implications: 

Since death anxiety is a multi-dimensional structure affecting many aspects of the elderly's life and it is one of the most common mental health issues of the elderly, it is essential to investigate the related factors. This can help to take effective steps and improve the mental health of the elderly.