Relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and fear of death: the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty among a Turkish sample
Open accessAbstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the salience of death in our lives. The aim of this study is to uncover potential mechanisms underlying fear of death during the pandemic. A sample of 478 volunteers (312 females and 166 males) aged 18 years and older participated voluntarily in this study. Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, Multidimensional Mortality Awareness Measure, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and Personal Information Form were used for data collection. The mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and fear of death was determined using the bootstrapping method. COVID-19 anxiety was associated with increased intolerance of uncertainty, and fear of death. Intolerance of uncertainty was associated with increased fear of death. Furthermore, intolerance of uncertainty partially mediated the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and fear of death. Results suggest that intolerance of uncertainty is a critical variable in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and fear of death. The current research adds to our knowledge of fear of death by investigating COVID-19 anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty. Additionally, this study underlies and contributes to the consideration of psychological health of individuals during the pandemic process. The results are discussed within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Bulut's research suggests that intolerance of uncertainty is a critical variable in the relationship between anxiety provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fear of death.
“M. Bulut's research suggests that intolerance of uncertainty is a critical variable in the relationship between anxiety provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fear of death [8].”
From For whom the bell tolls: The fear of death and the ways to become less afraid of it (2024) · cites this paper as [8]
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For whom the bell tolls: The fear of death and the ways to become less afraid of it
Danylova, T., Storozhuk, S., Kryvda, N., & Matviienko, I. (2024) · Wiadomości Lekarskie · doi:10.36740/wlek/195171 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- Bulut, M. B.
- Affiliations
- Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi (TR)
- Corresponding author
- Bulut, Meryem Berrin
- ORCID
- Bulut, Meryem Berrin
- Venue
- Current Psychology
- Published
- 2022-06-02
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 8441-8450
- ISSN
- 1046-1310 (ISSN-L)
- 1936-4733
- PMC
- PMC9159776
- OpenAlex
- W4281993953
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2
- FWCI
- 2.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Current Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- COVID-19 anxiety, fear of death, intolerance of uncertainty, mediation, death awareness, COVID-19 pandemic, mental health
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