Testing terror management theory in advanced cancer

Abstract

Death anxiety is common in advanced cancer due to heightened mortality salience. We tested terror management theory (TMT) in this population (N = 305) by evaluating the buffering effect of the distal defenses (attachment security, meaning, self-esteem) on the impact of physical impairment (a proxy for mortality salience) on death anxiety. Patients with greater numbers of strong distal defenses reported lower death anxiety than those with no strong defenses or one strong defense. These findings support the relevance of TMT in individuals facing the actual threat of death and the need for further TMT research in such populations.

Acknowledgements

We thank the research and clinical staff, students, and volunteers who contributed to the development and implementation of the CALM program and trial. We also extend our gratitude to the trial participants and families who invested their time and effort in the clinical trial.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The parent CALM trial was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research under Grant #MOP106473. The CALM trial also received program funding from the Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto, Ontario. GKS is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship.