A GENERAL FACTOR OF DEATH DISTRESS IN SEVEN CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL GROUPS

Abstract

The Arabic Scale of Death anxiety (ASDA), the Death Depression Scale (DDS), and the Death Obsession Scale (DOS) were administered, individually, to 7 groups (n = 765) of Egyptian normal participants (non-clinical), anxiety disorder patients, patients suffering from schizophrenia (males and females), and addicts (males only). They were generally matched as groups according to age, occupation, and education. The intercorrelations between the 3 scales in all 7 groups were significant and positive. A general high-loaded factor of death distress was extracted in all 7 groups. It was the only salient factor, accounting for 50–70% of the common variance.

Many thanks to Professor Robert A. Neimeyer, the Editor-in-Chief of this periodical, as well as two competent anonymous reviewers of the manuscript for their valuable comments and constructive suggestions.

Notes

¹Thanks are due to Dr. Eiman Abdel-Hakeem Zayed, Ph.D., Chief clinical psychologist, Hospital of Psychological Medicine, Alexandria, Egypt, for her assistance in administering the scales individually.

*p < .05 (2-tailed). **p < .01 (2-tailed).

Note: ASDA = The Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety, DDS = The Death Depression Scale, and DOS = The Death Obsession Scale.

Note: ASDA = The Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety, DDS = The Death Depression Scale, and DOS = The Death Obsession Scale.