The relationship between religiosity and spirituality with death anxiety among nurses: A systematic review

Abstract

This systematic review sought to compile evidence on the connection between religiosity and spirituality and death anxiety (DA) among nurses. A comprehensive search was conducted on Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases using keywords derived from Medical Subject Headings, including "Death", "Death Anxiety", "Nurses", "Spirituality", "Religiosity", and "Religion", spanning from the earliest available data to March 1, 2022. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS tool). Two researchers independently performed data extraction and quality assessment for the included studies. In the present study, six relevant articles were included. According to the results, 37.46% of nurses identified as Catholic, and 22.70% as Protestant. Two studies explored the relationship between religiosity and DA in nurses, revealing a significant negative correlation. Four studies investigated the association between spirituality and DA among nurses, with three of them indicating a significant negative relationship. However, one study demonstrated a significant positive correlation between spirituality, spiritual care, and DA among nurses. Overall, the majority of studies suggested that religiosity and spirituality have a negative association with DA in nurses. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of DA and its related factors in nurses. Additionally, designing interventions that focus on religiosity and spirituality may help reduce DA in nurses, thereby improving patient care. Therefore, future researchers are encouraged to design well-structured interventions based on religion and spirituality for nurses dealing with DA.