The Role Cognitive Fusion, Social Support and Perception of Aging in Prediction Death Anxiety

Introduction: Elderly is a very important stage in life, and death anxiety is a common feature of the elderly, so it is important to identify the factors that affect death anxiety during this period. Therefore, purpose of this study was to investigate the role cognitive fusion, social support and perception of aging in prediction death anxiety in elderly. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that statistical population consisted of all the elderly in Kermanshah in 2017. The total population of 199 people (75 women and 124 men) as sample size were selected. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient, enter regression analysis, stepwise method and T test with SPSS22. Independent groups were analyzed. Results: The results showed that there is a significant relationship between cognitive fusion, social support and perception of aging with death anxiety in elderly women and men was observed. The results of stepwise stepwise regression analysis showed that among female elderly, cognitive fusion and perceived aging variables were 38.9%, and among the elderly, cognitive fusion and perceived aging, 14% had anxiety before death they made it. But social support was not able to predict death anxiety. On the other hand, independent t-test showed that there is a significant difference between cognitive fusion and death anxiety in the elderly between men and women, as cognitive fusion (P < 0.05) and death anxiety (P < 0.01) among elderly women of man, but there was no significant difference in terms of social support and aging perception among them. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study and considering the high death rate anxiety in the elderly, which is one of the effective factors in the mental health of the elderly, using mental anxiety strategies, mental health can be increased in the elderly.