Death Anxiety and Attitudes towards Death in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: An Exploratory Study

Jara Francalancia; Paraskevi Mavrogiorgou; Georg Juckel; Tina Mitrovic; Jens Kuhle; Yvonne Naegelin; Ludwig Kappos; Pasquale Calabrese

doi:10.3390/brainsci11080964

Death Anxiety and Attitudes towards Death in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: An Exploratory Study

Brain Sci. 2021 Jul 22;11(8):964. doi: 10.3390/brainsci11080964.

Authors

Jara Francalancia¹, Paraskevi Mavrogiorgou², Georg Juckel², Tina Mitrovic^{1

3}, Jens Kuhle³, Yvonne Naegelin³, Ludwig Kappos³, Pasquale Calabrese^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Division of Molecular and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Birmannsgasse 8, 4055 Basel, Switzerland.
² Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1, 44791 Bochum, Germany.
³ Department of Neurology, University Clinic Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.

Abstract

Background: Death and the anxiety of it becomes more apparent when confronted with a chronic disease. Even though multiple sclerosis (MS) is a treatable condition today, it is still accompanied by a multitude of impairments, which in turn may intensify of death anxiety.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between depression, anxiety and death anxiety in individuals with MS.

Methods: Fifty-six MS patients were recruited at the Department of Neurology of the University Clinic in Basel. Death anxiety was assessed using the Bochumer Questionnaire on attitude to death and death anxiety 2.0 (BOFRETTA 2.0).

Results: Scores of death anxiety towards it in MS patients were low. Only disability (EDSS) was moderately correlated with death anxiety. Depression in MS was significantly correlated with fatigue and disability, but not with the BOFRETTA 2.0.

Conclusion: Scores of death anxiety and the attitude towards death are low in this MS cohort. It was shown that both psychopathological and neurological deficits impact the subject of death with respect to multiple sclerosis.

Keywords: anxiety; attitude towards death; cognitive impairment; death anxiety; depression; fatigue; multiple sclerosis.