Death anxiety

Death anxiety, also called thanatophobia, is anxiety produced by thoughts of one's own mortality and the process of dying. It is recognized within clinical psychology and psychiatry as a significant source of psychological distress that can affect mood, behavior and quality of life, sometimes manifesting alongside broader anxiety disorders or depression and sometimes appearing as a more isolated preoccupation with death. It is distinct from necrophobia, an irrational fear specifically of dead bodies or of objects and places associated with death, whereas death anxiety centers on the anticipation of one's own ending. Its intensity varies enormously between individuals and across the lifespan, and researchers have linked it to factors including religious belief, age, health status and personal experience with loss. Because confronting mortality is a near-universal human experience, death anxiety has been studied extensively in existential psychology as well as in palliative and end-of-life care, where clinicians work to help patients and families manage the distress it can cause.