The Mediating Role of Death Anxiety in Hemodialysis Patients

This study aimed to determine the mediating role of death anxiety in the relationship between religious attitudes and spiritual care needs of hemodialysis (HD) patients in Turkey. The research was designed as a descriptive and cross-sectional study. A total of 203 patients were included in the study. Descriptive Characteristics Form, Religious Attitude Scale (RAS), Spiritual Care Needs Scale (SCNS), and Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) were used for data collection. In this study, it was found that the indirect effect of religious attitudes on spiritual care needs was significant, and death anxiety mediated the relationship between religious attitudes and spiritual care needs (b= -1.754, 95% CI \[-2.95, -0.65\]). It can be concluded that death anxiety in HD patients directs individuals towards religious attitudes, and in this case, the need for spiritual care increases. In other words, death anxiety mediates the relationship between religious attitudes and spiritual care needs. Therefore, nurses should include spiritual care when providing nursing care for HD patients.