No surprise here: A new study that shows anxiety about dying can affect self-esteem and quality of life among people with chronic diseases. The authors said they’d like to see more interventions to bolster self-esteem and lower death anxiety in middle-aged and older adults who have chronic diseases.
The study was published on Tuesday in BMC Psychiatry. The negative consequences of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease (along with the unpredictability of death) makes middle-aged and elderly adults who have these diseases more vulnerable to death anxiety, the authors wrote.
“Numerous variables, such as psychological, physical, social functioning, and interpersonal interactions, have an impact on one’s quality of life. Among psychological factors, self-esteem, as an internal coping mechanism, directly affects patients’ quality of life,” the authors wrote.
Chronic diseases with recurring episodes and complications can cause people to feel like their illness is uncontrollable — something that can lower their self-esteem, the authors wrote.
The authors examined 294 questionnaires filled out by people in China who were living with chronic conditions. The researchers evaluated their scores on self-esteem, quality of life, death anxiety, illness rating, and details on demographics.
There were significant differences in quality of life among middle-aged and older adults who had chronic diseases depending on individual factors. Self-esteem was positively linked with quality of life and it was negatively associated with death anxiety. Death anxiety was negatively linked with quality of life; it partially disrupted self-esteem and quality of life, the authors found.
The authors say it’s crucial for clinical healthcare providers to come up with ways to help middle-aged and older adults with chronic diseases deal with potential or existing anxiety about dying. Patients with chronic diseases should be aware that they may be prone to it and, as a result, should strengthen their connections with family and friends, establish healthy relationships and strive to maintain a sense of purpose in life.
