The Effects of Death Education for the Elderly on Life Satisfaction and Psychological Well-Being, and the Mediating Effect of Death Anxiety

Abstract

This study has two objectives. One is to review the current situation of death education which is widely regarded as the important part of education for the elderly. The other is to identify systematically the effects of death education on older adults’ life satisfaction and psychological well-being. The education intervention were held in the 10 Social Welfare Centers in 5 cities. The subjects of this research were 203 elderly(120 participants, 83 non-participants) aged 60 years over, and the 17-weeks death education(2 hours for 1 time per week) was performed toward the participants. In the study model, death education was used as an independent variable, with life satisfaction and psychological well-being as dependent variables, while death anxiety were set up as a mediating variable, respectively. The collected data were analyzed with t-test and Pearson correlation coefficients, multiple regression, Sobel test, with PASW statistics 18.0. The results of this study are as follows. First, the death education contributes to lessening death anxiety, which is statistically significant. Secondly, death education has a significantly positive influence on life satisfaction and psychological well-being. But, the influence was confirmed as a mediated effect of lessened death anxiety, rather than death education itself. Thirdly, older adults’ death anxiety shows the significant differences, according to sex, subjective standard of health status, and regions. Life satisfaction also shows the significant differences, according to sex, subjective standard of living, and living alone.