The effects of psychosocial interventions on death anxiety: A meta-analysis and systematic review of randomised controlled trials

Abstract

Death anxiety has been proposed as a transdiagnostic construct, underlying numerous mental disorders. Although it has been argued that treatments, which reduce death anxiety, are needed, research investigating the impact of interventions on death fears has produced mixed results. As such, the current meta-analysis aimed to examine the effect of psychosocial interventions on death anxiety. Overall, results from 15 randomised controlled trials suggested that psychosocial treatments produced significant reductions in death anxiety, with a small to medium effect size (g = .45). Intervention type (death education vs. therapy) did not significantly moderate the effect of intervention on death anxiety (g = -.47). However, therapy type was a significant moderator of treatment efficacy (g = -1.39). Cognitive Behaviour Therapy was found to be particularly efficacious, producing significant reductions in death anxiety relative to control (g = 1.7), whereas other therapies did not (g = .20). The number of treatment sessions and baseline death anxiety significantly moderated intervention efficacy, whereas the duration of the intervention, training of the interventionist, and clinical nature of the sample did not. Given the small number and generally low quality of the included studies, future research using more rigorous methodology, as well as clinical samples, is needed.

Keywords: Death anxiety; Fear of death; Meta-analysis; Systematic review; Transdiagnostic; Treatment outcome.