Evaluating Death Anxiety and Death Depression Levels among Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

This study aimed to assess death anxiety and death depression levels among patients with acute myocardial infarction. This was a descriptive correlational study, which was conducted on patients who were treated on an outpatient clinic or cardiology clinics a training and research hospital in Istanbul, Turkey between January and August 2020. The sample of study included 300 patients, who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the study. The Sociodemographic Form, Death Anxiety Scale and Death Depression Scale served as data collection tools. The patients obtained a mean score of 12.260 ± 3.315 from Death Depression Scale and a mean score of 12.506 ± 2.915 from Death Anxiety Scale. The patients had a death-related depression mood and a severe death anxiety level. The correlation between the patients’ Death Depression Scale and Death Anxiety Scale mean scores was statistically significant and moderate positive (r = .590; p = 0.000). As patients’ death anxiety increased, their death-related depression levels also increased was determined. The death anxiety levels of the patients were mostly severe, to the point of panic. Their depression scores were also above average.