Death anxiety and death literacy among Turkish patients with chronic diseases: a cross-sectional study

Background: Death anxiety is common in patients with chronic diseases. Death literacy is a novel theoretical framework that enables patients to discuss death, accept it as a natural aspect of life, and get a deeper comprehension of it. However, it is unclear whether there is a relationship between death literacy and death anxiety. Furthermore, death literacy has not been sufficiently researched in Turkish society. This study investigated the levels of death anxiety and death literacy among Turkish patients with chronic diseases and the factors affecting death anxiety. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of Turkish patients with chronic diseases (n = 225). The data were collected with the Turkish Death Anxiety Scale and the Death Literacy Index. Pearson correlation, independent samples t test, One-Way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression were employed to analyse the data. Results: There exists a negative moderate correlation between death anxiety and death literacy. It has been determined that the factors that most influence patients’ fear of death are their level of death literacy and gender. These factors explained 12.8% of the variance in death anxiety (R2 = 0.128, F = 3.153, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results suggest that death literacy level and gender were found to be factors affecting death anxiety of patients. Women have higher death anxiety scores. While the level of death literacy of Turkish patients with chronic diseases increases, their death anxiety decreases. The findings of the study were believed to offer a comprehensive information for healthcare practitioners in the management of such patients.