Attitudes to aging, depression, and death anxiety among community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional correlational study

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of attitudes to ageing and depression as predictors of death anxiety in community-dwelling older adults. Method: The study was a cross-sectional and correlational design and conducted with 400 participants who met the inclusion criteria and admitted to four different family health centers in Turkiye. Data were collected with the Individual Evaluation Form, Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire, Geriatric Depression Scale and Templer Death Anxiety Scale. Results: According to the results, community-dwelling older adults have depressive symptoms and death anxiety; and the attitudes to ageing and depression can predict death anxiety among community-dwelling older adults. Conclusion: This result highlights that interventions should be planned in order to reduce death anxiety among community-dwelling older adults by taking the attitude to ageing and the symptoms of depression into account.