Perceived social support and death anxiety among patients with chronic diseases

ABSTRACT

There is a relationship between chronic diseases, death anxiety, social support and psychological distress. Social support is a crucial component for patients to adopt to life threatening illnesses while, close relations increase the self-esteem and act as a buffer against death anxiety. To investigate the perception of social support and death anxiety among patients having chronic diseases like Cancer, Hepatitis, Cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It was a cross sectional study done in Pakistan Ordnance Factories Hospital Wah Cantt, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology Rawalpindi and Ali Homoeopathic Clinic Rawalpindi. Data was collected during the period of March to June, 2011. The sample size included 106 patients of both genders irrespective of age who were suffering from either some form of cancer or hepatitis or cardiac diseases or diabetes. The Death Anxiety Scale and Perceived Social Support Scale were used for data collection. Out of 106 cases there were 72 males and 38 females whose ages ranged from 18 to 76 years with a mean of 44.2 years and SD of 12.69. Male patients had significantly higher death anxiety, disturbing deaths thoughts and fear of not being as compared to female patients. Death anxiety was higher among married as compared to unmarried patients. There was negative relationship between death anxiety and perceived social support [r =-.205, p<0.05]. Death anxiety increased with age and education. Patients with lower education and younger age perceived more social support and lesser death anxiety. Social support and other psychosocial services may help in reducing the death related thoughts among chronic disease patients and improve their functions and recovery process. Physicians must consider the psychological status of the patients while, treating their chronic diseases