Examining the Relationships between Death Anxiety, Meaning in Life, and Parental Attitude

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between death anxiety, meaning in life and parental attitude of university students. The survey method, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The research group consists of 325 people, 242 women and 83 men. Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Scale of Death Anxiety, Young Parenting Inventory and Personal Information Form were used as data collection tools. In the study, descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moments Correlation coefficients, Spearman Rank Differences Correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analysis were used. There was a significant negative correlation between the scores obtained from the presence of meaning subscale and the scores of the scale of death anxiety, and emotionally depriving mother, pessimistic/fearful mother, emotionally depriving father, pessimistic/fearful father, belittling/criticizing mother, belittling/criticizing father subscales. There was a significant positive correlation between the search for meaning subscale scores and the scale of death anxiety mean score, and conditional/achievement-focused mother and conditional/achievement-focused father subscale scores. Looking at the results of the regression analysis, it is seen that death anxiety is a significant predictor of both the presence of meaning and the search for meaning. Findings were discussed based on the literature, and recommendations were given.