RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Aditi Sundhar
Intern Mentor GT
2022-2023
Mentor: Dr. Usha Vemulakonda
Ascension St. Agnes Hospital

Title: Cheating Death: A study on Death Anxiety and its Effects

Introduction and Overview of Research:

Death Anxiety is a condition that is seen across everyone, yet in some people, the severity
of the condition is detrimental. Death is a topic no one is completely educated on, and due
to the lack of research on the subject, little is known about it, which makes this condition
difficult to decipher. Recent research suggests, however, that maybe it’s fine if there isn’t a
complete understanding of death. An alternative would be getting as close to the real thing
as possible, which is mainly done through a form of behavioral therapy known as exposure
therapy. More studies still need to be done, particularly ones in which firsthand
information is obtained from those who struggle with the condition. The aim of this
research study is to acquire that anecdotal evidence and try to prove the claims of recent
studies to see if the current perspective of death anxiety is accurate or not, and what needs
to be fixed in order to reduce this form of anxiety in people.

Background and Rationale

Death Anxiety, more commonly known as Thanatophobia, is an intense fear of death or
the dying process (Thanatophobia (Fear of Death): Symptoms & Treatments, n.d.).
Everyone fears death, but after a certain extent, this fear can play a harmful impact on our
lives. When [death anxiety] is getting in the way of someone’s relationships, their work,
their ability to do hobbies, or their sense of purpose in life, this could mean that the
severity of the anxiety has increased (Menzies, 2023). There are many subsets of fears
that play a large role in death anxiety. This can be a fear of the dying process, pain and
suffering, losing control over one’s body, the unknown, being alone, leaving your loved
ones behind, and much more (Mendoza, 2022). Some physical symptoms of death anxiety
include contracting hypochondriasis, constantly checking to make sure one is physically
healthy (ex. checking blood pressure), shaking, dizziness, heart palpitations, nausea, upset
stomachs, and more. Emotional symptoms can also occur, such as avoidance of
socialization, or the sudden onset of negative emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, or
guilt (Holland, 2019).

Research suggests that around 3% to 10% of people feel more nervous than others about
the thought of dying (Thanatophobia (Fear of Death): Symptoms & Treatments, n.d.).
This number is imprecise, however, due to the fact that many people tend to avoid
reporting feelings about this topic. This may be due to the lack of knowledge on death
anxiety, or it may be due to the stigma surrounding it. For humans, coming to terms with
death seems like a nightmare, and for researchers and physicians, it seems like an
ever-present reality despite all the technological advancements made (Lehto & Stein,
 RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Aditi Sundhar
Intern Mentor GT
2022-2023
Mentor: Dr. Usha Vemulakonda
Ascension St. Agnes Hospital

2009). The truth is that death is inevitable, so finding methods to help reduce these
anxieties may prove beneficial. Various forms of behavioral and psychological therapies are
said to be effective in reducing anxieties faced relating to death. One particular form of
behavioral therapy, known as exposure therapy, has been proven effective in treating
patients with severe forms of death anxiety. Exposure therapy is based on the idea that if
someone systematically and deliberately faces reminders of death, then the death anxiety
will be reduced (Menzies, 2023). The process of becoming more familiar with death may
be beneficial in improving one’s mental state and perspective on death.

According to the 2017 "Survey of American Fears" conducted by Chapman University,

20.3% of Americans are "afraid" or "very afraid" of dying (When Your Fears About
Dying Are Unhealthy, 2022). This translates to approximately 70 million people in
America who suffer from some form of heightened anxiety relating to death. There has
been little research done on this area of study, and it is of utmost importance that more
awareness is spread for this topic. Death is such an abstract phenomenon that no one truly
understands it, but however paradoxical of a concept it may be, it is something that
everyone has a 100% chance of experiencing (Menzies, 2023). Instead of researching
ways in which one can prolong their life or prevent death, we should focus on ways to
prevent anxieties relating to death, as this can make the processes of both living and dying
increasingly difficult. Finding methods to help reduce death anxiety and the fears
surrounding it, as well as educating the general public on death anxiety may be beneficial
in preventing death anxiety in the long run.

Research Methodology:

Research Question: How do one’s life experiences determine their outlook on death, how
does this mentally affect them, and what methods can be taken to improve this
perspective?

Research Hypothesis: Any death-related experience one undergoes (whether it be them or

someone they know) can trigger death anxiety, and familiarizing them with the concept of
death can help lower negative thoughts relating to it.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that death anxiety can be triggered by a death-related

experience, like being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer (Cut, 2022). When a person finally
sees a form of death occur in front of their own eyes, they are mentally forced to think
about it and come to terms with it. However, this is a difficult thing to do, and many end
up severely mentally ill due to this fact. From prior research, familiarizing people with
death can help reduce these anxieties. This is primarily done through a form of behavioral
 RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Aditi Sundhar
Intern Mentor GT
2022-2023
Mentor: Dr. Usha Vemulakonda
Ascension St. Agnes Hospital

therapy known as exposure therapy. In this form of therapy, patients perform

“death-related activities” to get used to the idea of death being potent in their lives, but
that they can exhibit a decent amount of control over it. These activities consist of writing
wills, lying in coffins, imagining funerals, etc. (Menzies, 2023). Therefore familiarizing
people with the idea of death (more specifically, their death) can help lower death anxiety.

Research Design Model:

The research design being used in this study is a descriptive research design. The research
will focus around the individual experiences of a sample relating to death anxiety. This
design is appropriate to the topic as there are very few studies that focus primarily on
anecdotal evidence from people who suffer from death anxiety. Many sources are simply
insights from professionals researching the topic, so it would be beneficial to see the topic
from another point of view. This research is qualitative as it will focus more on the
characteristics of people who have severe death anxiety and their experiences. From this
research design method, I will be able to gather more evidence from those who face death
anxiety firsthand and compare it to the prior information gathered from professionals. The
independent variable in this study will be the study sample of participants as I intend to
make the sample as randomized as I can get, and I can choose the number of people that
will take part in the survey. The dependent variable is the severity of death anxiety seen in
the participants of the survey and how their anxiety might have been triggered, as that is
what is being measured. The controlled variable is the questions in the survey as they will
stay the same for every participant.

Data Collection:
The proposed data collection method for this research study is a survey. This survey will
be sent out to various participants, and since there is no specific group, the participant
sample will be as randomized as possible. This is an effective data collection method for
the topic because death anxiety is a universal anxiety that everyone faces, just in varied
levels of severity, so every participant surveyed will be able to give their own insight. This
survey will provide a good opportunity to hear firsthand about the experiences and
symptoms that constitute death anxiety. In the few studies focusing on this topic, it was
extremely rare to see any anecdotal evidence from participants. This kind of evidence
would be extremely useful in making more generalizable claims about death anxiety to the
population. The review of literature will support this data collection method because the
professionals from the interviews conducted and from research papers have made claims
about death anxiety relating to a population, but most have mentioned that they are yet to
prove said claims as there need to be more studies done regarding primary evidence from
those who experience death anxiety. The data gathered will support these claims by acting
as the evidence to support them.
 RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Aditi Sundhar
Intern Mentor GT
2022-2023
Mentor: Dr. Usha Vemulakonda
Ascension St. Agnes Hospital

Product and Audience

The product of this study will be a video detailing the importance and prevalence of death
anxiety, as well as effective methods to help reduce this anxiety. Since my main goal is to
spread more knowledge and awareness to the topic, the most effective way to do that is
through a visual representation that the audience could view and even send to others. For
this product, video editing skills are essential, as well as anything else technology-related.
The audience of this study is not just anyone experiencing death anxiety, but the general
public. Everyone experiences death anxiety to some extent, and may not be aware of it yet,
so the final product can help educate the public on those symptoms. This will also be of
assistance to those who know a friend or family member that experiences death anxiety so
that they will be educated on how to assist anyone struggling with death anxiety as well.

References:

Cut. (2022, July 1). Three Dying People Talk About Death | Cut [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkxjuyAVccY

Holland, K. (2019, August 28). Everything You Should Know About Thanatophobia.

Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/thanatophobia

Lehto, R. H. & Stein, K. F. (2009). Death Anxiety: An analysis of an evolving concept.

Research and Theory for Nursing Practice, 23(1), 23–41.

https://doi.org/10.1891/1541-6577.23.1.23

Mendoza, M. A. (2022, October 7). The fear of death and the rise of psychedelics.

Psychology Today.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understanding-grief/202210/the-fear-dea

th-and-the-rise-psychedelics
 RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Aditi Sundhar
Intern Mentor GT
2022-2023
Mentor: Dr. Usha Vemulakonda
Ascension St. Agnes Hospital

Menzies, R. (5 January 2023). Personal interview.

Thanatophobia (Fear of Death): Symptoms & Treatments. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic.

Retrieved October 24, 2022, from

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22830-thanatophobia-fear-of-death

When Your Fears About Dying Are Unhealthy. (2022, June 9). Verywell Mind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/scared-to-death-of-death-1132501