The Impact of Death Education on College 'Students' Sense of Meaning in Life and Ability to Cope with Death.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study aims to assess the impact of death education on college students' sense of meaning in life and ability to cope with death. Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted among a randomly selected sample of 320 undergraduate students from a specific city. The survey, administered through the paper questionnaire, collected data on students' demographic characteristics, their awareness of death, and their demand for death education. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing the demand for death education and assess its impact on college students' attitudes towards death, sense of meaning in life, and coping abilities. Results: The results revealed that participants' personality traits and family status significantly influenced their need for death education (P < .05). The overall score for death education needs among participants was (37.40±6.57). Notably, the statement "I think death education can help me understand death" received the highest mean rating (3.85), while the statement "I think death education will help me engage in nursing work in the future" received the lowest mean rating (3.55). Personal factors such as personality, family status, being an only child, and family experiences with serious illness were found to impact college students' demand for death education (P < .05). Post-death education, significant differences were observed in scores related to death fear and escape acceptance dimensions (P < .05). Moreover, there were statistically significant improvements in students' sense of meaning in life, quality of life, and life goals following death education (P < .05). Additionally, all dimensions of death coping ability showed higher scores after death education (P < .05). Factors such as current psychological state, being an only child, family experiences with serious illness, and attendance at funerals were found to be statistically significant in relation to college students' sense of meaning in life (P < .05). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the sense of meaning in life was influenced by the current psychological state and family experiences with serious illness (P < .05). Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of integrating death education into college curriculums to address students' fear of death and enhance their appreciation of life. Providing death education can help students develop a healthier perspective on death, improve their well-being, reduce avoidance attitudes towards death-related events, and strengthen their sense of meaning in life and ability to cope with death. These findings emphasize the need for educational institutions to implement comprehensive death education programs, considering individual factors such as personality and family background, and contribute to the development of effective educational policies and curricula.