Existential anxiety as related to conceptualization of self and of death, denial of death, and religiosity.

82 students completed a questionnaire which measured their existential anxiety as described by Yalom, conceptualization of self and of death, denial of death, and religiosity. For these students, scores on existential anxiety correlated with identity confusion, feeling responsible toward others but fearing emotional closeness with them, seeing people as fundamentally different and not seeing oneself as living on in one's tasks or projects. Their existential anxiety scores were not related to a particular concept of death, but death was more likely to be seen as cold and denied. Their existential anxiety seemed symptomatic of adjustment problems for which religiosity was not helpful. Specific suggestions for further research are made.