THE RELATIONSHIP OF COGNITIVE EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGIES AND OPTIMISM WITH DEATH ANXIETY AMONG NURSES IN URMIA CITY

Death anxiety in staff nurses can influence their communication with and the
quality of their care delivery for dying patients. The aim of the current study is to investigate the
relationship and predictability of death anxiety by cognitive emotion regulation strategies and
optimism in nurses working in critical care and general wards.
Materials & Methods: In this descriptive correlational study, 300 nurses (227 females, 73males) were
selected by stratified random sampling method from hospitals in Urmia city. The participants were
assessed using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire (CERS-Q), Templer Death
Anxiety Scale and revised life- orientation Test. The data was analyzed by Pearson correlation
coefficient and stepwise regression analysis.
Result: The findings showed that there was significant relationship between death anxiety with
subscales of cognitive emotion regulation strategies and optimism (p<0/01). It was found that
catastrophizing, other-blame, positive refocusing, rumination, positive refocus on planning,
acceptance and optimism accounted for 41% of variance of death anxiety.
Conclusion: The findings emphasized on the need to recognize the role of cognitive emotion
regulation strategies and optimism in predicting nurses’ death anxiety