Effectiveness of an Online Religiously-integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-based Intervention on Death Anxiety

Summary

There has been growing awareness of the importance of death anxiety (DA) in pathological anxiety. DA is defined as a persistent and unreasonable fear of death and thoughts, fears, and emotions associated with the end of life. DA has been suggested as a core fear that underpins the emergence and perseverance of numerous anxiety disorders. However, previous DA-based treatment studies focus on the elderly, the patients, or health professionals who care for the terminally ill. Therefore, there is a need to examine the effect of psychological interventions on DA and current disorder symptoms in a clinical sample through randomized controlled trials. The current study aims to develop a novel Religiously Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (RCBT)-based intervention on DA in individuals diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and to compare the effectiveness of RCBT-based intervention with classical CBT-based intervention.

Conditions

• Death Anxiety

Interventions

OTHER

Religiously-integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

This study aims to assess the efficacy and feasibility of a newly developed online intervention for death anxiety based on Religiously Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (RCBT). Building upon the framework of Furer and Walker's 2008 intervention protocol, this adaptation incorporates beliefs in an afterlife, aligning with Turkish society's cultural and religious values. The RCBT intervention consists of seven structured group therapy sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. The program is designed to help participants identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts related to death anxiety while integrating religious resources to promote cognitive restructuring. Key components of the intervention include psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, exposure exercises, the concept of repentance in the context of trust and belief in the afterlife, gratitude, and value-oriented behaviors.

OTHER

Classical Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The standard CBT intervention follows the structured protocol developed by Furer and Walker (2008), which targets cognitive distortions, avoidance behaviors, and excessive safety-seeking behaviors contributing to death anxiety. The researcher has adapted the session content to fit the protocol's core components while maintaining fidelity to the original intervention model. Sessions last 90 minutes and are conducted in an online group format. Session Structure: Session 1: Treatment Rationale, Session 2: Reducing Excessive Checking, Reassurance Seeking, and Safety Behaviors, Session 3: Exposure, Session 4: Cognitive Reappraisal, Session 5: Enhancing Enjoyment of Life, Session 6: Healthy Lifestyle, and Session 7: Relapse Prevention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ibn Haldun University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Büşra Kavla, PhD Student · Ibn Haldun University

• Burcu Uysal, Associate Professor · Ibn Haldun University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-06-01

Primary Completion

2025-07-01

Completion

2025-12-01

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations