The effect of death anxiety on obsessive-compulsive symptoms among college students
10.3760/cma.j.cn113661-20230404-00069
- VernacularTitle:大学生死亡焦虑对强迫症状的影响
- Author:
Xiaofan YANG
1
;
Xiaojin YUAN
;
Peihong YUAN
;
Ping HU
Author Information
1. 中国人民大学心理学系，北京 100872
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Death;
Anxiety;
Obsessive-compulsive symptoms;
Psychological insecurity;
Negative coping style;
College student
- From:
Chinese Journal of Psychiatry
2023;56(4):292-297
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:The research aims to determine the potential mediating role of psychological insecurity based on the correlation between death anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in college students during the pandemic of Covid-19 pandemic. The effects of negative coping styles were also investigated.Methods:The objective was achieved using a convenient sampling method. There were a total of 523 participants including 368 girls and 155 boys, aged 16-30 (19.93±2.19) years from Renmin University of China. Participants completed online the Chinese Version Templer Death Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Feeling of Insecurity Scale, Symptom Checklist-90-Obsessive Compulsive and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. Mediational analysis with multiple regression was conducted to reveal the potential roles of psychological insecurity as a mediation factor. Negative coping style was used as a moderator between death anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and a simple slope was used to further analysis.Results:Pearson correlation analysis showed that there were significant correlations between death anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, psychological insecurity, and negative coping style ( r=0.12-0.40, P<0. 01). Death anxiety was positively related to obsessive-compulsive symptoms (β=0.30, t=7.09, P<0.01).This correlation remained significant when psychological insecurity was introduced as a mediating factor (β=0.22, t=5.33, P<0.01). Negative coping style could moderate the relationship of death anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Simple slope analysis showed that a higher tendency of negative coping style was associated with the enhanced impact of death anxiety on obsessive-compulsive symptoms (simple slope=0.27, P<0.01 and simple slope=0.08, P=0.17) for high negative coping style individuals and low-score ones, respectively. Conclusions:This research revealed that death anxiety could trigger obsessive-compulsive symptoms by increasing psychological insecurity; overall, higher levels of negative coping styles reinforce the relationship between death anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
