Objectives:This study aims to examine the cognitive and emotional reactions of Chinese elderly people toward death, to extend the use of aWestern scale on death anxiety to a Chinese sample, and to explore the correlates of death anxiety. Methods:A community sample of 237 Chinese elderly people (62 men and 175women) in HongKong between the ages of 60 and 91 years old was individually interviewed. Results:Among this elderly cohort, a high level of death anxiety was associated with younger age, a high level of psychological distress, and the presence of recent stressors butwas unrelated to number of physical disorders, gender, personal income, marital and employment status, and religious affiliations. Discussion:Reactions of Chinese elderly people toward specific death-related issues were discussed with regard to Chinese cultural beliefs. Limitations and implications of the present study were also discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (1997). Death, anxiety, and depression. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 35(2), 219-229.
2.
Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (1998). Death, anxiety, and depression in Lebanese undergraduates. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 37(4), 289-302.
3.
Brandtstaedter, J. (1999). Sources of resilience in the aging self: Toward integrating perspectives. In T. Hess (Ed.), Social cognition and aging(pp. 123-141). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
4.
Census and Statistics Department . (1999). Hong Kong annual digest of statistics 1999 edition. Hong Kong: Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Government Printing Office.
5.
Chang, S. (1996). Ssu Wang Chih Ssu[Thinking of death]. Taipei City, China: Hung-yeh wen hua shih yeh yu hsien kung ssu.
6.
Cheng, H. (1997). Sheng Ssu Chih Hui: Chung-kuo Jen Tui Jen Sheng Kuan Chi SsuWang Kuan Te Kan Fa[Wisdom of life and death: Chinese viewtoward attitudes of life and death]. Taipei City, China: Han hsin wen hua shih yeh yu hsien kung ssu.
7.
Florian, V. , & Snowden, L. R. (1989). Fear of personal death and positive life regard: A study of different ethnic and religious-affiliated American college students. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 20(1), 64-79.
8.
Fortner, B. V. , & Neimeyer, R. A. (1999). Death anxiety in older adults: A quantitative review. Death Studies, 23, 387-411.
9.
Foster, J. R. (1997). Successful coping, adaptation and resilience in the elderly: Aninterpretation of epidemiologic data. Psychiatric Quarterly, 68(3), 189-219.
10.
Gesser, G. , Wong, P.T.P., & Reker, G. T. (1987). Death attitudes across the life span: The development and validation of the Death Attitude Profile (DAP). Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 18, 113-128.
11.
Goldberg, D. P. (1978). Manual of General Health Questionnaire. London: NFER.
12.
Kubler-Ross, E. (1975). Death: The final stage of growth. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
13.
Lester, D. (1990). The Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale: The original version and a revision. Death Studies, 14, 451-468.
14.
Lomranz, J. (1998). Handbook of aging and mental health: An integrative approach. NewYork: Plenum.
15.
Lonetto, R. , & Templer, D. I. (1986). Death anxiety. New York: Hemisphere.
16.
McMordie, W. R. , & Kumar, A. (1984). Cross-cultural research on the Templer/McMordie Death Anxiety Scale. Psychological Reports, 54, 959-963.
17.
Nehrke, M. F. , Morganti, J. B., Willrich, R., & Hulicka, I. M. (1979). Health status, room size, and activity level: Research in an institutional setting. Environment and Behavior, 11, 451-463.
18.
Neimeyer, R. A. (1985). Actualization, integration, and fear of death: A test of the additive hypothesis. Death Studies, 9, 235-244.
19.
Neimeyer, R. A. ,& Fortner, B. V. (1995). Death anxiety in the elderly. InG. Maddox (Ed.), Encyclopedia of aging(2nd ed., pp. 107-129). New York: Springer.
20.
Neimeyer, R. A. , & Van Brunt, D. (1995). Death anxiety. In H. Wass & R. A. Neimeyer (Eds.), Dying: Facing the facts(3rd ed., pp. 49-88). Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis.
21.
Schumaker, J. F. , Barraclough, R. A., & Vagg, K. M. (1988). Death anxiety in Malaysian and Australian university students. Journal of Social Psychology, 128(1), 41-47.
22.
Schumaker, J. F. , Warren, W. G.,& Groth-Marnat, G. (1991). Death anxiety in Japan and Australia. Journal of Social Psychology, 131(4), 511-518.
23.
Shek, D. (1989). Validity of the Chinese version of the General Health Questionnaire. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 890-897.
24.
Stroebe, M. , Gergen, M., Gergen, K., & Stroebe, W. (1992). Broken hearts or broken bonds: Love and death in historical perspective. American Psychologist, 47, 1205-1212.
25.
Tate, L. A. (1982). Life satisfaction and death anxiety in aged women. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 15(4), 299-306.
26.
Templer, D. I. (1970). The construction and validation of a death anxiety scale. Journal of General Psychology, 82, 165-177.
27.
Templer, D. I. (1971). Death anxiety as related to depression and health of retired persons. Journal of Gerontology, 26, 521-523.
28.
Thorson, J. E. ,& Powell, F. C. (1994). A revised Death Anxiety Scale. In R. A. Neimeyer (Ed.), Death anxiety handbook(pp. 31-44). Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis.
29.
Tomer, A. , & Eliason, G. (1996). Toward a comprehensive model of death anxiety. Death Studies, 20, 343-365.
30.
Wass, H. ,& Neimeyer, R. A. (1995). Dying: Facing the facts(3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Taylor& Francis.
31.
Westman, A. S. ,& Canter, F. M. (1985). Fear of death and the concept of extended self. Psychological Reports, 56(2), 419-425.
32.
Wong, P. , Reker, G., & Gesser, G. (1994). Death Attitude Profile-revised: A multidimensional measure of attitudes toward death. In R. A. Neimeyer (Ed.), Death anxiety handbook(pp. 121-148). Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis.
