Facilitating the acceptance of death

(i) Death acceptance is an under-researched factor despite being associated with positive outcomes in the face of death, including greater psychological wellbeing and resilience to loss. Determinants of death acceptance have potential therapeutic application for those struggling with issues of death and dying.
(ii) To determine whether valued-living and comfort talking about death with family predict death acceptance.
(iii) A survey of 119 university students was conducted. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed with age, gender, fear of death, valued-living and comfort talking about death as predictors of death acceptance. The final model accounted for a significant 45% of variance in death acceptance. Valued-living (B=.17, p=.03) and comfort talking about death with family (B=.18, p=.02) were significant predictors of death acceptance, over age (B=.04, p>.05), gender (B=-.16, p=.04), and fear of death (B=-.49, p<.01).
(iv) Greater death acceptance may be promoted by facilitating more successful pursuit of valued life directions and communication with family about death. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, that purports valued living and not avoiding one’s fears lead to greater acceptance, has potential.
(v) Results have implications for how we might support people struggling with terminal illness or bereavement.

9234 Facilitating the acceptance of death (61kb pdf)