Harmony found: Serenity's crucial role in alleviating death anxiety through attachment styles among community-dwelling older adults.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Explore the mediating effect of serenity in the relationships between attachment styles and death anxiety among older adults DESIGN: A descriptive correlational research design following Strengthening Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. METHODS: Data were collected from 250 older adults attending three clubs. TOOLS Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety, Brief Serenity Scale, and Revised Adult Attachment Scale were used to collect data. RESULTS: Most participants exhibited high levels of serenity, with varying degrees of attachment styles and death anxiety. Correlation analysis indicates significant negative associations between death anxiety and serenity, as well as attachment styles. Secure attachment styles were positively correlated with serenity and negatively with death anxiety. Path analysis revealed that serenity partially mediated the relationship between attachment styles and death anxiety. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Fostering secure attachments and promoting serenity to mitigate death anxiety in older adults, enhancing later-life psychological well-being through informed interventions.