The purpose of this research was to understand the profile of sense of purpose in life and death anxiety among cancer patients, as well as to explore the relationship between cancer patients' basic personal data, their sense of purpose in life and death anxiety.

Methods

Research subjects came from among cancer radiation treatment patients at three hospitals in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung areas. A correlational research design was adopted, along with convenience sampling. There were 219 valid subjects. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire whose contents included questions eliciting basic personal data, a sense of purpose in life scale, and a death anxiety scale.

Results

The research results showed that: Cancer patients' rating for death anxiety was 49.65, a moderate level. As far as sense of purpose in life was concerned, only 33.8 % of patients had life aims and a sense of purpose in life, while 38.4 % were uncertain about sense of purpose in life, and 27.9 % indicated clearly that they had no sense of purpose in life. Sense of purpose in life, level of fear of disease relapse, and gender were significant predictors, accounting for 32% of all variance in levels of death anxiety among cancer patients.

Conclusion

The research results may provide physicians and nursing staff with an understanding of death anxiety among cancer patients, and facilitate improvements in sense of purpose in life among patients, which may reduce death anxiety among such patients. The researchers recommend design of and research into courses of education and training to promote sense of purpose in life, in the hope of inducing patients to rediscover or reaffirm their sense of purpose in life, and, further, to overcome the trauma of dying, and, indeed, to face death with dignity and positivity.