OmegaPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2023-02-13DOI: 10.1177/00302228231157135
Daniel Spitzenstätter, Tatjana Schnell
{"title":"The Uncertain Certainty: A Mixed Methods Exploration of Personal Meanings of Death and Preliminary Insights Into Their Relationship With Worldview.","authors":"Daniel Spitzenstätter, Tatjana Schnell","doi":"10.1177/00302228231157135","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228231157135","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present mixed methods study investigated personal meanings of death, i.e., concepts, views, and expectations associated with one's own death, and explored their relation to worldview. To this end, a sample of 202 young, German-speaking adults completed the <i>Death Statements Test</i>, a new qualitative assessment tool, as well as quantitative measures of religiosity, spirituality, atheism, and agnosticism. Qualitative data was transformed to enable quantitative analyses. Results indicated that the spectrum of personal meanings of death is generally broad and multifaceted. The most prevalent view on death was \"death as source of motivation and meaning in life.\" The frequencies of emotionally positive and negative death meanings were relatively balanced, while neutral statements dominated. Relationships between participants' death meanings and worldview dimensions turned out to be small but existent. The <i>Death Statements Test</i> proved to be a valuable and economic assessment tool, eliciting rich qualitative material on personal meanings of death.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"1483-1508"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12188024/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10692155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2023-02-06DOI: 10.1177/00302228231156313
Songul Karadağ, Bahar Çiçek
{"title":"Anxiety, Depression and Burnout Levels of Nurses Working in COVID-19 Intensive Care Units.","authors":"Songul Karadağ, Bahar Çiçek","doi":"10.1177/00302228231156313","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228231156313","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This descriptive and correlation-seeking study was planned to determine the depression, anxiety, and burnout levels experienced by nurses working in COVID intensive care units. The survey consisted of three instruments: Nurse Identification Form, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Burnout Measure Short Form (BMS). It was determined that the mean anxiety score of the nurses was 11.31 ± 4.41, the mean depression score was 10.03 ± 3.54, and the mean of burnout was 3.92 ± 1.75. In addition, it was determined that 53.3% of the nurses experienced burnout and 27.0% were so exhausted that they needed professional help. Also, it was determined that there was a moderately significant positive relationship between anxiety and burnout and depression and burnout (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Protecting the mental health of nurses is very important in terms of both improving the quality of care and increasing the productivity of nurses.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"1406-1421"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9904990/pdf/10.1177_00302228231156313.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10732525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Firefighter Suicide: A Theoretical Model for a Population Specific Behavioral Autopsy Program.","authors":"Luzimar Vega, Candice C Johnson-DeLeon, Alicia Kohalmi, Brittany Howell, Stephanie Miller, Todd LeDuc","doi":"10.1177/00302228231151278","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228231151278","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Some research suggests that firefighters are possibly at greater risk than other at-risk first responder/public service populations for suicidality (e.g., police, Veterans, active duty military non-deployed males; Martin et al., 2017; Stanley et al., 2015; Stanley et al., 2016). Behavioral autopsies have been utilized to elucidate the clinical picture of other at-risk populations; however, to date there is no proposed or applied model for a suicide behavior autopsy in fire personnel. Developing a standardized suicide behavior autopsy will allow for a comprehensive understanding of firefighters who die by suicide and highlight potential areas for intervention. The aim of this paper is to integrate best practices for autopsy procedures from other high-risk populations into a comprehensive theoretical model for a proposed behavioral health autopsy for firefighters. Our recommended protocol is presented along with relevant limitations, clinical implications, and recommendations for future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"1257-1267"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10525387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2023-02-14DOI: 10.1177/00302228231157188
George Dakurah, Vincent de Paul Kanwetuu, Adams Bodomo
{"title":"No Kagyin, No Funerals Among the Dagaaba of North-West Ghana: Understanding the Symbolic and Ritual Aspects of the Uses of Crops.","authors":"George Dakurah, Vincent de Paul Kanwetuu, Adams Bodomo","doi":"10.1177/00302228231157188","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228231157188","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Using symbolic interactionism theory, this paper examines the role of sorghum in funeral celebrations among the Dagaaba of North-west Ghana. Employing mixed methods, the objectives are to examine: (1) the main stages of Dagaaba funerals, and (2) the symbolic and ritual uses of kagyin for funerals. The results revealed that kagyin is the first crop item that is placed beside a deceased to portray his/her farming trade whilst alive. Similarly, the study established that kagyin is given to undertakers which is used for performing required ritual sacrifices. Furthermore, it emerged from the study that sorghum is used for brewing dagadaa for funeral guests.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"1458-1482"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9267600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2023-01-11DOI: 10.1177/00302228221150304
Maggie Ingram, Evelyn Thorne, Elizabeth J Letourneau, Paul S Nestadt
{"title":"Self-Esteem, Perceived Social Support, and Suicidal Ideation and Behavior Among Adults Attracted to Children.","authors":"Maggie Ingram, Evelyn Thorne, Elizabeth J Letourneau, Paul S Nestadt","doi":"10.1177/00302228221150304","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221150304","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction:</b> People who are attracted to children may be at elevated risk for suicidal ideation and behavior compared to the general population. However, factors associated with suicidal ideation and behavior in this population represent a gap in the literature.<b>Methods:</b> The current study used multilinear regression to explore the impact of self-esteem and perceived social support on suicidal ideation and behavior in a sample of 154 adults attracted to children. Mediation analysis was conducted to investigate the role of lifetime major depressive disorder and hopelessness in these relationships.<b>Results:</b> Results showed high prevalence of past-year and lifetime suicidal ideation and behavior in the sample. Both self-esteem and perceived social support demonstrated significant, inverse relationships with suicidal ideation and behavior after adjustment for covariates. Mediation analyses provided support for the role of hopelessness, but not depression, in these relationships.<b>Conclusion:</b> Results demonstrate high rates of suicidal ideation and behavior among adults attracted to children and highlight important opportunities for prevention and intervention. Improving self-esteem, bolstering perceived social support, reducing hopelessness, and removing barriers to help-seeking may be targets for improving mental health and preventing suicidal ideation and behavior in this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"1214-1235"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9078863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2023-02-24DOI: 10.1177/00302228231160204
Leia Y Saltzman, Lauren Terzis
{"title":"Markers in Time: Expanding Our Concept of Trauma Triggers to Include Subjective Experiences of Time Among Adults Surviving Traumatic Loss.","authors":"Leia Y Saltzman, Lauren Terzis","doi":"10.1177/00302228231160204","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228231160204","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We outline two studies that collected exploratory data on the meaningful time approach and explore the notion of temporal triggers that emerge in the process of coping with traumatic loss. Qualitative data analysis was completed on data gathered from face-to-face interviews as well as open ended responses to an online survey. 35 themes and sub-codes were identified. 30 of these were replicated in both studies. Our data supported the notion of \"markers in time\" and identified three clear phases to these markers. Participants also noted the consequences of loss on their lives, and the influence of societal and religious approaches to bereavement on their process of coping. Results of this study support a cyclical approach to understanding coping with loss and provides clinicians working with bereaved individuals yet another tool to address the dynamic experience of bereavement.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"1590-1610"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9335250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2023-06-29DOI: 10.1177/00302228221144791
Indrajit Patra, Iskandar Muda, Ngakan Ketut Acwin Dwijendra, Mazin Aa Najm, Shadia Hamoud Alshahrani, Samah Sajad Kadhim, Noora M Hameed, Yasir S Alnassar, Naseer M Mohammed, Yasser Fakri Mustafa, Vahid Shojaeimotlagh
{"title":"A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Death Anxiety During COVID-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Indrajit Patra, Iskandar Muda, Ngakan Ketut Acwin Dwijendra, Mazin Aa Najm, Shadia Hamoud Alshahrani, Samah Sajad Kadhim, Noora M Hameed, Yasir S Alnassar, Naseer M Mohammed, Yasser Fakri Mustafa, Vahid Shojaeimotlagh","doi":"10.1177/00302228221144791","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228221144791","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This systematic review was conducted to estimate the pooled score of death anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. All eligible articles from January 2020 to May 2022 reporting the death anxiety score were included in the analysis b.y searching the Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and ISI databases. The standard score of death anxiety in the COVID-19 pandemic was 50%. The highest score of death anxiety was related to patients with COVID-19 (59.4%), other chronic patients (58.9%), and the elderly (56.4%). The lowest death anxiety score was related to the general population (42.9%) and health care workers (48.2%). The death anxiety score in the studies whose data was collected in 2020 and 2021 was 51% and 62%, respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people experienced high death anxiety, which had terrible effects on their lives. Therefore, it seems necessary to provide training courses to deal with death anxiety for other possible pandemics.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"1079-1097"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10311374/pdf/10.1177_00302228221144791.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10120187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Student Nurses' Perception of Good Death and Religious Coping Styles.","authors":"Seher Cevik Aktura, Seyhan Citlik Saritas, Neşe Karakaş","doi":"10.1177/00302228231154678","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228231154678","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This research aims to examine the perception of the good death and religious coping styles of student nurses. The research is a correlational descriptive study. The research was conducted with 358 nursing students at a state university in the east of Turkey. It was found in the study that students had a good perception of death (58.83 ± 6.12) and mostly used positive religious coping styles (positive/24.55 ± 3.71, negative/13.31 ± 4.21). As a result of the correlation analysis, a weakly significant positive relationship was determined between good death perception and positive religious coping (<i>p</i> < .001).This study observed that students' perceptions of good death increased along with their positive religious coping styles.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"1368-1386"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10681812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
OmegaPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2023-01-23DOI: 10.1177/00302228231153545
Thomas Pearson, Clemence Due, Kate Obst
{"title":"Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Men's Grief Experiences Following Perinatal Death in Australia.","authors":"Thomas Pearson, Clemence Due, Kate Obst","doi":"10.1177/00302228231153545","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228231153545","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To explore the grief experiences of men from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds following perinatal death in Australia. Qualitative analysis of interview data using thematic analysis. Participants were health service providers (<i>n</i> = 6), and CALD community members (<i>n</i> = 10) who were either community leaders with experience working with CALD men following perinatal death in Australia (<i>n</i> = 6), or were CALD men who had lived experience of perinatal death (<i>n</i> = 4). Thematic analysis identified four themes related to CALD men's grief. These included the role of religion and rituals, grief as stoic, the partner- and family-centred nature of men's grief, and finally grief as ensuring and changeable over time. This research points to the strong need for CALD men's specific needs to be included in the development of policy and practice surrounding perinatal death.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"1331-1347"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12188022/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10607130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Death Anxiety During COVID-19 and its Related Factors among Chinese Elderly People.","authors":"Dengle Yang, Yiyun Xia, Wenyuan Wu, Yuanming Feng, Jingyu Liang, Jin Zhang","doi":"10.1177/00302228231157446","DOIUrl":"10.1177/00302228231157446","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed at investigating death anxiety and its related factors in Chinese elderly people during COVID-19. This study totally interviewed 264 participants from four cities in different regions of China. Death anxiety scale (DAS), NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (Neo-FFI) and Brief COPE were scored on the basis of one-on-one interviews. Quarantine experience didn't make significant difference in death anxiety among the elderly; Elderly people with high death anxiety had higher scores of neuroticism, and were more likely to use a Behavior Disengagement coping strategy; Multiple linear regression analysis showed that neuroticism, openness and COVID impact predicted 44.6% of the variance in the death anxiety among elderly people. The results support both theories of vulnerability-stress model and terror management theory (TMT). In the post-epidemic era, we suggest to pay attention to the mental health status of elderly people with personality susceptibility to handling the stress of infection badly.</p>","PeriodicalId":74338,"journal":{"name":"Omega","volume":" ","pages":"1509-1527"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10014449/pdf/10.1177_00302228231157446.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9474682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}