Concept of death and death anxiety among coronary heart disease patients in Taipei, Taiwan

This study determines whether there is a significant difference between males\u27 and females\u27 inpatients\u27 and outpatients\u27, first-attack and second-attack patients\u27 concept of death and death anxiety level among Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) patients of Taipei, Taiwan. The subjects of this study were 105 coronmary heart disease patients in Taipei, Taiwan. The subjects were administered a questionnaire on death developed by Chua, Dumayas, and Mercardo (1981) and Templer\u27s (1970) Death Anxiety Scale (DAS). The t-test was used to find out if there are significant differences in the concept of death and death anxiety level of the following groups: 1) males and females, 2) inpatients and outpatients, 3) first-attack and second-attack patients. Pearson r was used to find out whether there is a relationship between concept of death anxiety level in all types of CHD patients. The results of the study revealed that: 1) There is a significant difference, t(103) = -.923, p .01 between male and female subjects in concept of death. This shows that males have a more positive concept of death. 2) There is a significant difference, t(103) = -6.826, p .01 between inpatients and outpatients in concept of death. The inpatients showed a more negative concept of death. 3) There is no significant difference between first-attack and second-attack patients concept of death. 4) There is no significant difference between males and females on death anxiety. 5) There is a significant difference, t(103) = 2.829, p .01 between the inpatients and outpatients on death anxiety level. The inpatients showed greater anxiety on death. 6) There is no significant difference between the first-attack and second-attack patients on death anxiety level. 7) There is a significant correlation (r = -.561, p .01) between concept of death and death anxiety in all types of CHD patients. This shows that the more positive the concept of death, the lower the death anxiety level