Resilience’s Mediating Role Linking Coping Strategies and Meaning in Life to Elderly Death Anxiety

Objective: This study aimed to develop a causal model of death anxiety based on coping strategies and meaning in life, with resilience as a mediating factor among elderly individuals.Methods: A descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied.The sample consisted of 384 older adults selected through convenience sampling in Tehran City, Iran.Data were collected using standardized questionnaires on death anxiety, resilience, coping strategies, and meaning in life, and analyzed through SPSS and AMOS software. Results:The proposed model showed an acceptable fit to the data.Direct path coefficients revealed that coping strategies, meaning in life, and resilience were negatively and significantly associated with death anxiety.In addition, resilience played a significant mediating role in the indirect relationships. Conclusion:The findings emphasize the protective role of resilience and the significance of meaning in life in reducing death anxiety among the elderly.