Sharabati Israa, Mustafa Mohamed M M, Ateeq Masah, Al-Jabali Hasan, Elsayed Amira Ahmed, Kandil Ahmed Hamdy, Hamouda Mohamed Nabil, Alrawajfeh Noor, Sharib Sadeel Abu, Abumayyala Razan A, Alkhateeb Omar Rafeek, Bishtawi Mira, Rahmeh Juana Abu, Hetta Tasneem, Abuzant Raghad, Al-Mubaid Farah
Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine.
Medical Research Group of Egypt, Negida Academy, Arlington, MA, USA.
BMC Psychol. 2024 Dec 30;12(1):794. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-02321-4.
Dealing with death and dying patients is one of the most challenging aspects of medical practice. The purpose of this study was to assess the attitude of medical interns toward death and dying patients as well as their level of death anxiety.
This cross-sectional study was conducted on medical interns across three countries-Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine-using an online survey created with Google Forms. The survey included sociodemographic information, the Approach to Death and Dying Patients Attitude Scale (ADDPAS), and Templer's Death Anxiety Scale (DAS). The sample size was calculated using OpenEpi, aiming for minimum 466 from Egypt, 273 from Jordan, and 348 from Palestine. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to evaluate significant associations between demographic variables and the outcomes of the scales. Spearman's correlation coefficients and simple linear regression analysis assessed the relationship between the scales. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
This cross-sectional study analysis was done on 1156 participants. The median age was 24 years (interquartile range "IQR": 24-25), with most living in urban areas (74.6%). Females comprised 53.6%. The median score on the DAS was 8.00 (IQR: 6-11). Hardness in communicating with the dying and their relatives and avoidance of death and dying patients subscales median scores were 2.22 (IQR: 1.89-2.44) and 2.54 (IQR: 2.18-2.81), respectively. Females had higher death anxiety and a less positive attitude toward communicating with dying patients and their relatives. Egypt scored lower on the ADDPAS subscales but higher than Palestine and Jordan on the DAS. DAS had a significant indirect relationship with hardness in communicating with the dying patients and their relatives (r = -.384; p < 0.001) and avoiding death and dying patients (r = -.123; p < 0.001). Simple linear regression showed that the DAS significantly predicts both subscales.
Medical interns showed moderate death anxiety and a positive attitude toward communication and avoidance of death and dying patients. Those with a higher level of death anxiety demonstrated a greater tendency to avoid dealing with dying patients and had more difficulties with communication. End-of-life training is recommended.
应对死亡和濒死患者是医疗实践中最具挑战性的方面之一。本研究的目的是评估医学实习生对死亡和濒死患者的态度以及他们的死亡焦虑水平。
这项横断面研究通过谷歌表单创建的在线调查，对埃及、约旦和巴勒斯坦三个国家的医学实习生进行。该调查包括社会人口统计学信息、死亡和濒死患者态度量表（ADDPAS）以及坦普勒死亡焦虑量表（DAS）。使用OpenEpi计算样本量，目标是埃及至少466人，约旦273人，巴勒斯坦348人。使用SPSS 27版分析数据。Kruskal-Wallis和Mann-Whitney U检验用于评估人口统计学变量与量表结果之间的显著关联。Spearman相关系数和简单线性回归分析评估量表之间的关系。p值≤0.05被认为具有统计学意义。
对1156名参与者进行了这项横断面研究分析。中位年龄为24岁（四分位间距“IQR”：24 - 25），大多数人生活在城市地区（74.6%）。女性占53.6%。DAS的中位得分为8.00（IQR：6 - 11）。与濒死者及其亲属沟通时的困难以及回避死亡和濒死患者分量表的中位得分分别为2.22（IQR：1.89 - 2.44）和2.54（IQR：2.18 - 2.81）。女性的死亡焦虑更高，对与濒死患者及其亲属沟通的态度也更不积极。埃及在ADDPAS分量表上得分较低，但在DAS上高于巴勒斯坦和约旦。DAS与与濒死患者及其亲属沟通的困难（r = -0.384；p < 0.001）以及回避死亡和濒死患者（r = -0.123；p < 0.001）有显著的间接关系。简单线性回归表明，DAS能显著预测这两个分量表。
医学实习生表现出中度的死亡焦虑，对与死亡和濒死患者的沟通及回避持积极态度。死亡焦虑水平较高的人表现出更倾向于回避处理濒死患者，并且在沟通方面有更多困难。建议进行临终关怀培训。
