Page No 64-76
Zohra Khatoon and Sukhjot Kaur
Akal University, Talwandi Sabo, India
The psychological well-being of cancer patients is often overshadowed by the focus on
physical treatment, yet it plays a crucial role in context to how they face the prospect
of death. Positive death attitudes, such as neutral acceptance, approach acceptance,
and escape acceptance, are key to understanding how patients cope with their
diagnosis. This study explores the relationship between these death attitudes and
flourishing—a measure of overall well-being in cancer patients, revealing insights that
could transform approaches to treatment. A diverse group of 300 cancer patients, aged
20 to 85 years and including 141 males and 159 females, were assessed using
standardized scales for flourishing and death attitudes. The study examined how these
attitudes- neutral acceptance, approach acceptance, and escape acceptance correlate
with the patient’s psychological well-being. Correlation and regression analysis were
used to determine the significant correlations and the impact of predictor variables on
criterion variable (flourishing). The results showed that neutral acceptance and approach
acceptance of death were strongly correlated with higher levels of flourishing, with
coefficients of 0.59 and 0.86, respectively. In contrast, escape acceptance was
negatively correlated with flourishing, with a coefficient of -0.82. These findings were
significant at the 0.01 level, indicating a clear link between a patient’s attitude toward
death and their overall well-being. Also, a significant impact of death attitudes was
seen on flourishing among the patients. The study highlights the potential of acceptancebased therapies in improving the psychological well-being of cancer patients. By fostering
a more positive attitude toward death, these interventions can enhance the quality of
life, reduce the fear of dying, and diminish the tendency towards escape acceptance.
This research underscores the need for further investigation and the development of
programs that help cancer patients navigate their attitudes toward death, ultimately
leading to better-coping mechanisms and emotional resilience.