Relationship between spiritual well-being, death anxiety and life satisfaction in coronary artery patients and their primary caregivers: a comparative study

AIM: This study aims to compare the relationship between spiritual well-being, death anxiety, and life satisfaction among patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease and their primary caregivers. METHODS: This cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted with 233 patients diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and 233 primary caregivers at the Cardiology Clinic of Mardin Training and Research Hospital between November 9, 2024, and January 15, 2025. Data were collected using the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS), and the Adult Life Satisfaction Scale (ALSS). Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, were used to analyze the data. The normal distribution of scale scores and numerical variables was assessed using kurtosis and skewness values. Relationships between scale score means were evaluated using Pearson or Spearman correlation tests. Scale scores according to sociodemographic variables were analyzed using Student's t-test, ANOVA, and Tukey's post hoc test. In cases where normal distribution was not achieved, the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied. To determine the effect of DAS and SWBS total scores, as well as being a patient or a primary caregiver, on ALSS scores, multiple linear regression analysis was performed using the Enter method. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 56.77 (SD = 11.47), while that of the primary caregivers was 39.31 (SD = 13.68). A weak but statistically significant negative correlation was found between the total scores of the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) and the Adult Life Satisfaction Scale (ALSS) in both patients (r = -0.25, p < 0.001) and primary caregivers (r = -0.23, p < 0.001). Primary caregivers had significantly higher DAS scores compared to patients. Rather than the role of being a patient or a primary caregiver, the total scores of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) and the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) were found to be statistically significant predictors of life satisfaction, accounting for 31% of the variance (R² = 0.31). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study revealed that both patients diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and their primary caregivers exhibited high levels of spiritual well-being and experienced death anxiety, with primary caregivers reporting significantly higher levels of death anxiety compared to patients. Considering the statistical significance of the total scores of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) and the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) as predictors of life satisfaction (ALSS), it is recommended that the death anxiety and spiritual well-being of both patients and primary caregivers be assessed, and that appropriate interventions be planned and implemented accordingly.