title: The experience of death anxiety in Iranian war veterans: a phenomenology study.
abstract: Recognition of death anxiety experienced by patients who have survived violence and threats to life during war is of strong importance in delivery of best care for veterans experiencing health stressors. The aim of the study was to explore the death anxiety experience of veterans from the Iran-Iraq war. Using a phenomenological approach, 11 war veterans were interviewed related to death anxiety experiences. Four major themes included afterlife fears; alienated farewell; ambiguous separation; and physical dissolution. Patients who have been exposed to death trauma in the battlefield may carry added burden from unique cognitions and fears related to personal death.
authors.affiliation: a Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sharif Nia
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebadi
authors.forename: Rebecca H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Lehto
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peyrovi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003643:Death; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D007492:Iran; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D014857:Warfare