A meta-analysis of the association of death anxiety with psychological distress and psychopathology

Abstract

Death anxiety (DA), apprehension when thinking about death, has long been associated with distress. Studies have suggested that DA may transdiagnostically contribute to mental disorders. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, aiming to estimate the relationship between DA and distress or symptoms of mental disorders. The included studies reported the correlation between DA and distress or symptoms of mental disorders, across general population and clinical samples, using previously validated measures for all outcomes. PsychInfo and the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (via EBSCO), Embase, and Medline (via PubMed) were systematically searched up to 30 October 2023. Study quality was evaluated with the Study Quality Assessment Tools (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). A total of 129 studies were included, reporting on 158 independent samples, for a total of 34,147 participants. Most studies were rated as poor quality. The findings indicated consistently positive associations between DA and distress outcomes (general anxiety: r = 0.42, P < 0.001; depression: r = 0.41, P < 0.001; distress: r = 0.36, P < 0.001). Heterogeneity was substantial, and prediction intervals crossed zero for all outcomes, except for anxiety and distress. We found no moderation by DA measure, sample type or the proportion of women in the sample. However, the association was stronger (t(35.37) = -2.055, P = 0.047) when medical conditions were present (r = 0.48, P < 0.001) than when they were absent (r = 0.37, P < 0.001). There was evidence of small-study effects, indicating possible publication bias. DA should be investigated in longitudinal studies across diverse samples of patients to clarify its contribution to psychopathology.