The moderating role of mindfulness in the relationship between death anxiety and cognitive-behavioral avoidance

The aim of this study is to examine the moderating effect of mindfulness on the relationship between individuals' levels of death anxiety and their tendencies toward cognitive-behavioral avoidance. The study group consisted of 629 individuals aged 18 and above. Data were collected using the Sociodemographic Information Form, Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and the Cognitive-Behavioral Avoidance Scale (CBAS). For data analysis, non-parametric tests, correlation analyses, regression, and interaction analyses were employed. The analyses revealed significant and positive correlations between death anxiety and all subdimensions of cognitive-behavioral avoidance. Specifically, a strong and positive relationship was found between death anxiety and behavioral social avoidance, while moderate and positive relationships were observed between death anxiety and the subdimensions of cognitive social avoidance, cognitive nonsocial avoidance, and behavioral nonsocial avoidance. Moreover, each subdimension of cognitive-behavioral avoidance was found to be moderately and negatively correlated with mindfulness. A weak, negative, yet significant correlation was also found between death anxiety and mindfulness. However, mindfulness did not demonstrate a moderating role in the relationship between death anxiety and cognitive-behavioral avoidance. Despite not functioning as a direct moderator, mindfulness was found to play a mitigating role in avoidance through its indirect effects. Specifically, death anxiety was shown to reduce levels of mindfulness, and lower levels of mindfulness in turn increased avoidance behaviors. This suggests that mindfulness functions as an important mediating mechanism within this context.