Date
5-20-2026
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Ashley Gregory
Keywords
Death, anxiety, end-of-life, support, narrative, culture, relationship, beliefs, phenomenology, thematic, acceptance
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Public Health
Recommended Citation
Sonnilal, Sharon, "Exploring The Impact of Cultural Beliefs on Death Anxiety: A Qualitative Study to Inform Healthcare Education and Practices" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8408.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8408
Abstract
A hermeneutic phenomenological approach framed this qualitative study, examining how cultural beliefs, spiritual traditions, and relational contexts shape death anxiety and meaning-making among adults from diverse backgrounds. Terror Management Theory and Culturally Sensitive Grief Treatment guided the conceptualization of death anxiety as a culturally mediated and relational phenomenon rather than an isolated psychological response. A purposive sample of 13 adults aged 18 and older represented diverse cultural, racial, gender, and spiritual identities. Recruitment occurred via Instagram, and participants completed an open-ended demographic and narrative survey. Participants who provided rich survey narratives received invitations to complete semi-structured Zoom interviews to deepen and clarify their accounts. Some interview participants also joined optional small-group dialogue sessions centered on shared reflection and individual meaning-making. These sessions remained distinct from focus groups because they did not aim to generate group-level findings, compare perspectives, or reach consensus. This approach used dialogue to elaborate meaning while keeping individual narratives as the primary unit of analysis. Braun and Clarke’s six-phase reflexive thematic analysis guided interpretation with a focus on depth, transparency, and reflexivity (Braun & Clarke, 2021). The analysis indicated that culturally grounded meaning systems shaped participants’ experiences of death anxiety, including spiritual worldviews, moral narratives, family relationships, communal rituals, and access to supportive healthcare and educational resources. Participants described these systems as sources of comfort that helped reduce existential fear and supported continuity, acceptance, and relational resilience. These findings may inform culturally responsive healthcare education, grief support, and end-of-life communication.
