Death obsession to ontological well-being mediating role of future anxiety and sleep disturbance: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Unlike other creatures, human beings possess the unique awareness of their own mortality. This awareness can lead individuals to develop preoccupations or obsessions with the concept of death. Obsession with death refers to individuals' persistent and recurrent thoughts about mortality. Individuals experiencing this condition may develop a pessimistic outlook towards the future. Such preoccupations can also have a negative impact on sleep quality. In other words, it is suggested that obsessive preoccupation with death may adversely influence ontological well-being by contributing to future anxiety and affecting sleep quality. To investigate these concepts, we collected data from the same participants at three-month intervals utilizing a quasi-longitudinal design. A serial mediation analysis using Model 6 of the PROCESS V4.1 macro for SPSS 26 (Hayes, 2022) with 275 paired data revealed that future anxiety and sleep disturbance played a full mediating role in the relationship between death obsession and ontological well-being. This finding emphasizes the significance of considering these mediating factors for both theoretical models and practical interventions. The findings suggest that individuals with a preoccupation with death may benefit from focusing on their own life projects and receiving psychological support to enhance ontological well-being.