The relationship between childhood traumatic experiences and death anxiety: The mediating role of obsessive beliefs

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.Sc. in general psychology, Faculty of Educational Science and Psychology, University of Zahedan, Zahedan, Iran.

2 M.Sc. in clinical psychology (family therapy), Faculty of Psychology and Education Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 M.Sc. in clinical psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22038/JFMH.2024.70215.3041

Abstract

Introduction: For many people, death anxiety brings a lot of fear and panic, and it is very important to investigate the factors influencing its formation and continuation. The purpose of this study was to explore the mediating role of obsessive beliefs in the relationship between traumatic childhood experiences and death anxiety in adulthood.
 
Materials and Methods: The present study employed a descriptive-correlational design and structural equation modeling. The statistical population comprised Iranian adults residing in Mashhad, Iran in 2022, of whom 340 individuals were selected as the research sample through convenient sampling. Data were collected online using the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (TDAS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-44). The data were analyzed utilizing the Pearson correlation method and structural equation analysis through SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 24.
 
Results: The results revealed a significant correlation (P< 0.01) between traumatic childhood experiences and obsessive beliefs, indicating a noteworthy association with death anxiety. The results of structural equation modeling also demonstrated a satisfactory fit for the model in this study. Furthermore, the mediating role of obsessive beliefs in the relationship between traumatic childhood experiences and death anxiety was found to be significant, with a χ2/df≤ 3 and a significance level of 0.001.
 
Conclusion: According to the findings, traumatic childhood experiences can predict and affect death anxiety through interaction with obsessive beliefs.

Keywords


  1. Michna GA, Trudel SM, Bray MA, Reinhardt J, Dirsmith J, Theodore L, et al. Best practices and emerging trends in assessment of trauma in students with autism spectrum disorder. Psychol Sch 2022; 22(1): 1-16.
  2. Rabito-Alcón MF, Baile JI, Vanderlinden J, Rabito-Alcón MF, Baile JI, Vanderlinden J. Mediating factors between childhood traumatic experiences and eating disorders development: A systematic review. Children 2021; 8(2): 114.
  3. Zhang Z, Dang J, Li J, He Y, Huang S, Wang Y, et al. Childhood trauma and self-control: The mediating role of depletion sensitivity. J Child Fam Stud 2021; 30(6): 1599-606.
  4. Mikaeili N, Zamanloo K. [A study of the prevalence of child abuse and its prediction from parents’ depression and anxiety, attachment styles and mental health of their adolescent boys]. Psychology of exceptional individuals 2012; 2(5): 145-66. (Persian)
  5. Cho Y, Kim D, Kim S-H, Cho Y, Kim D, Kim S-H. Prevalence and clinical correlates of childhood trauma among inpatients diagnosed with bipolar disorder: A matched comparison with schizophrenia. Psychosis 2021; 13(1): 13-23.
  6. Franke LK, Miedl SF, Danböck SK, Liedlgruber M, Grill M, Kronbichler M, et al. Pain after psychological trauma: The role of classical conditioning. Revision in pain 2021; 28(1): 1-53.
  7. Möhrle D, Hofmeier B, Amend M, Wolpert S, Ni K, Bing D, et al. Enhanced central neural gain compensates acoustic trauma-induced cochlear impairment, but unlikely correlates with tinnitus and hyperacusis. Neuroscience 2019; 407(1): 146-69.
  8. Kouvelis G, Kangas M. Evaluating the association between interpersonal trauma and self-identity: A systematic review. Traumatology 2021; 27(2): 118-48.
  9. Rosen AL, Handley ED, Cicchetti D, Rogosch FA, Handley ED, Cicchetti D. The impact of patterns of trauma exposure among low income children with and without histories of child maltreatment. Child Abuse Negl 2018; 80(1): 301-11.
  10. Dorri Mashhadi N, Shirkhani M, Mahdavian M, Mahmoudi S. Predicting the severity of obsessive-compulsive syndrome based on perceived parenting style: The mediating role of obsessive beliefs. Journal of fundamentals of mental health 2022; 24(1): 29-37.
  11. Young JC, Widom CS. Long-term effects of child abuse and neglect on emotion processing in adulthood. Child Abuse Negl 2014; 38(8): 1369-81.
  12. Lähdepuro A, Savolainen K, Lahti-Pulkkinen M, Eriksson JG, Lahti J, Tuovinen S, et al. The impact of early life stress on anxiety symptoms in late adulthood. Sci Rep 2019; 19(1): 1-19.
  13. Bandelow B, Michaelis S. Epidemiology of anxiety disorders in the 21st century. Dialogues Clin Neurosci 2022; 22(1): 327-35.
  14. Kesebir P. A quiet ego quiets death anxiety: Humility as an existential anxiety buffer. J Pers Soc Psychol 2014; 106(4): 610-23.
  15. Asghari Ebrahim Abad MJ, Shirkhani M, Mazloomzadeh M, Maghsoudi S, Salayani F, Mazloomzadeh M. Relationship between fear of coronavirus and death anxiety: Mediating role of behavioral inhibition system. Journal of fundamentals of mental health 2021; 23(3): 171-80.
  16. Pinciotti C, Riemann B, Wetterneck C. Trauma type and obsessive-compulsive symptom domains: The unique relationship between indirectly experienced trauma and just right symptoms. J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord 2021; 29(1): 106-24.
  17. Şar V, Türk T, Öztürk E. Fear of happiness among college students: The role of gender, childhood psychological trauma, and dissociation. Indian J Psychiatry 2019; 61(4): 389-94.
  18. Shirkhani M, Aghamohammadian Sharbaf H, Moeenizadeh M. [Predicting the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms based on traumatic childhood experiences: The mediating role of shame]. Rooyesh-e-Ravanshenasi journal 2022; 11(4): 39-48. (Persian)
  19. Malinauskaite I, Slapikas R, Courvoisier D, Mach F, Gencer B, Courvoisier D, et al. The fear of dying and occurrence of posttraumatic stress symptoms after an acute coronary syndrome: A prospective observational study. J Health Psychol 2017; 22(2): 208-17.
  20. Menzies RE, Zuccala M, Sharpe L, Dar-Nimrod I. Subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder and their relationship to death anxiety. J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord 2020; 27(1): 157-72.
  21. Templer DI. The construction and validation of a death anxiety scale. J Gen Psychol 1970; 82(2): 165-77.
  22. Zuccala M, Menzies RE, Hunt CJ, Abbott MJ. A systematic review of the psychometric properties of death anxiety self-report measures. Death Stud 2022; 46(2): 257-79.
  23. Rajabi G, Bohrani M. [Factor analysis of death anxiety question]. Journal of psychology 2001; 20(2): 322-44. (Persian)
  24. Bernstein DP, Stein JA, Newcomb MD, Walker E, Pogge D, Ahluvalia T, et al. Development and validation of a brief screening version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Child Abuse Negl 2003; 27(2): 169-90.
  25. Ebrahimi H, Dejkam M, Seghatoleslam T. [Childhood traumas and suicide attempt in adulthood]. Iranian journal of psychiatry and clinical psychology 2014; 19(4): 275-82 (Persian)
  26. Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group. Psychometric validation of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire and Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory—Part 2: Factor analysis and testing of a brief version. Behav Res Ther 2005; 43(1): 1527-42.
  27. Shams G, Karanghadiri N, Ebrahimkhani N. [Validation and reliability assessment of the Persian version of obsessive beliefs questionnaire-44]. Advances in cognitive science 2004; 6(1): 23-46. (Persian)
  28. Russell DW, Russell CA. The stress bias in mental health reporting: Death anxiety biases mental health self-assessments amongst deployed soldiers. Psychol Serv 2021; 18(2): 237.
  29. McKay MT, Cannon M, Chambers D, Conroy RM, Coughlan H, Dodd P, et al. Childhood trauma and adult mental disorder: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of longitudinal cohort studies. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2021; 143(3): 189-205.
  30. Patel S, Sayeed N, Das B. Efficacy of group based compassion focused therapy in male obsessive compulsive disorder: A pilot study. International journal of behavioral sciences 2022; 15(4): 275-81.
  31. Verin RE, Menzies RE, Menzies RG. OCD, death anxiety, and attachment: What’s love got to do with it? Behav Cogn Psychother 2022; 50(2): 131-41.
  32. Moreton SG, Burden-Hill A, Menzies RE. Reduced death anxiety and obsessive beliefs as mediators of the therapeutic effects of psychedelics on obsessive compulsive disorder symptomology. Clin Psychol 2022; 27(2): 1-16.
  33. Aghajani M, Valiee S, Tol A. [Death anxiety amongst nurses in critical care and general wards]. Iranian journal of nursing 2010; 23: 59-68. (Persian)