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A Comparison of Death Anxiety, Intolerance of Uncertainty and Self-Esteem as Predictors of Social Anxiety Symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2019

Juanita Lowe Open the ORCID record for Juanita Lowe [Opens in a new window]  and
Lynne M. Harris
Juanita Lowe
Affiliation:
Australian College of Applied Psychology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Lynne M. Harris*
Affiliation:
Australian College of Applied Psychology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*
*Corresponding author: Lynne Harris, Australian College of Applied Psychology, Level 11, 255 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia. Email: lynneharrispsy@gmail.com
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Abstract

This study sought to examine the role of death anxiety as a transdiagnostic predictor of social anxiety symptomatology compared to self-esteem and intolerance of uncertainty, and to examine the relationship between measures of intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity and death anxiety. A total of 591 participants, 445 females, average age 38.0 years (SD = 14.5), completed an online survey including background questions, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, the Social Interaction Anxiety and Social Phobia Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire, the Spirituality Scale, and the Death Anxiety Scale. No significant, independent relationship was found between death anxiety and social anxiety symptomatology, although self-esteem and intolerance of uncertainty were significant predictors of both measures of social anxiety, confirming the importance of these key transdiagnostic mediators as predictors of social anxiety symptomatology. A strong negative correlation was found between death anxiety and measures of both intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity in this general population sample not selected for high religious affiliation.

Keywords

death anxietyreligiositysocial anxietytransdiagnostic
Type
Standard Paper
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 36 , Issue 3 , September 2019 , pp. 165 - 179
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2019 

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