Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Zahra Mohamadi ¹
• Hassan Mahmoudian ²

¹ M.Sc in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.

² Corresponding Author, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Mazandaran, Iran.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate structural equation modeling of death anxiety in women with breast cancer based on early maladaptive schemas with the mediating role of neuroticism. This was descriptive-correlation research. The statistical population was all women with breast cancer referred to the chemotherapy department of Imam Hassan Hospital and Erfan Hospital in Tehran in 2022. The sample size was selected based on Klein's model (2023) and with subjectivw sampling of 500 women. Data collection tools include the death anxiety questionnaire (DAQ) of Templer and Ruff (1971), Young schema questionnaire – short form version 3 (YSQ-S3) of Young (2005) and the revised NEO personality inventory (NEO-PI-R) of McCrae and Costa (2008). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and structural equations modeling. The results showed direct effect of early maladaptive schemas and neuroticism. The results also showed that neuroticism has a significant mediating role in the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and death anxiety. Also, the final research model had a good fit and 80% of the variance of death anxiety is explained.

Keywords

• death anxiety
• early maladaptive schemas
• neuroticism
• women with breast cancer