Death Anxiety among Chinese Elderly People in Hong Kong
Abstract
Objectives:This study aims to examine the cognitive and emotional reactions of Chinese elderly people toward death, to extend the use of aWestern scale on death anxiety to a Chinese sample, and to explore the correlates of death anxiety. Methods:A community sample of 237 Chinese elderly people (62 men and 175women) in HongKong between the ages of 60 and 91 years old was individually interviewed. Results:Among this elderly cohort, a high level of death anxiety was associated with younger age, a high level of psychological distress, and the presence of recent stressors butwas unrelated to number of physical disorders, gender, personal income, marital and employment status, and religious affiliations. Discussion:Reactions of Chinese elderly people toward specific death-related issues were discussed with regard to Chinese cultural beliefs. Limitations and implications of the present study were also discussed.
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A stronger feeling of meaning in life correlates with a lesser degree of death anxiety.
“A stronger feeling of meaning in life has been shown to correlate with a lesser degree of death anxiety [1, 19].”
From Relationship between meaning in life and death anxiety in the elderly: self-esteem as a mediator (2019) · cites this paper as [1]
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- Authors
- Wu, A. M. S., Tang, C. S. K., & Kwok, T. C. Y.
- Affiliations
- Chinese University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Venue
- Journal of Aging and Health
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2002-02
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 42-56
- ISSN
- 0898-2643 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-6887
- OpenAlex
- W2160439893
- Cited by
- 102
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 4.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Aging and Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- fear of death, Chinese older adults, older adults, psychological distress, stressors, cultural beliefs, cross-cultural adaptation of scales, age differences, Hong Kong
- MeSH terms
- Age Factors, Aged, Attitude to Death, China, Culture, Demography, Female, Hong Kong, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Regression Analysis, Religion, Sex Factors, Stress, Psychological, Western World
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