Death Anxiety in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Testing REBT Models of Psychopathology and Psychological Health of Death Anxiety

Abstract

Objective: This paper aimed to examine the validity of the death anxiety psychopathological and psychological health models of Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). We investigated whether irrational and rational beliefs were associated with death anxiety and if there are possible significant positive correlations between death anxiety and depression, anxiety, and stress. Method: A sample of 200 individuals completed online self-report measures and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was chosen to assess the validity of the REBT psychopathological model and the REBT psychological health model. Pearson's correlation analysis was utilized to confirm the relationships between death anxiety and depression, anxiety, and stress. Results: REBT's model of psychopathology provide acceptable fit of the data. Results suggest that LFT beliefs mediate the relationship between DEM and death anxiety, while no mediation effect was found for the psychological health model. Additionally, high correlations were obtained between death anxiety and depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusions: Results provided empirical support for the REBT models of death anxiety and underline the critical importance of cognitive constructs in the prediction of death anxiety. Results are discussed within the framework of REBT theory, which can serve as a foundation for new research directions regarding death anxiety, both theoretical and clinical.

Keywords: Death anxiety; REBT; SEM; irrational beliefs; rational beliefs.