The mediating role of early maladaptive schemas in relationship between attachment styles and anxiety of death among cancer patients

Subject Areas : Thoughts and Behavior in Clinical Psychology

Shahed Masoodi ¹ , Hamid Reza Hatami ² , Morteza Modaress ³ , Shokosadat Banijamali ⁴

1 - دانشجوی دکتری روان شناسی عمومی، دپارتمان روان شناسی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد علوم و تحقیقات، تهران، ایران
2 - دپارتمان روان شناسی، دانشگاه جامع امام حسین، تهران، ایران
3 - دپارتمان روان پزشکی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی مشهد، مشهد، ایران
4 - دپارتمان روان شناسی، دانشگاه الزهرا(س)، تهران، ایران

Received: 2016-10-11 Accepted : 2016-10-11 Published : 2016-03-20

Keywords: early maladaptive schemas, Attachment styles, Death anxiety, and cancer,

Abstract :

Death anxiety is defined as feelings of panic, anxiety and fear of death and non-existence. The aim of this study is to examine the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas in relation to attachment styles and anxiety of death among patients with cancer. For this purpose, in a descriptive correlational study, 367 patients (140 women and 227 men) were selected through volunteering sampling from cancer patients referred to specialized and oncology centre of Emam Reza, Ghaem Hospital and Omid Hospital in Mashhad between September 93 to August 94. The participants were evaluated for death anxiety level, adult attachment style, and early maladaptive schemas. The results showed that there is a significant relationship between attachment styles and anxiety of death through mediation of early maladaptive schemas, and that early maladaptive schemas have been able to affect, the relationship between attachment styles and the anxiety of death as a mediator variable. Thus, using the psychological interventions for alteration of unhealthy behavioral patterns, and counseling a psychologist to identify and modify the primary schemas, alongside the primary medical techniques, can help to reduce the psychological harm among the cancer patients.