Meaning in life as a mediator between death anxiety and life satisfaction

Death Stud. 2025 May 24:1-9. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2025.2511255. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Research based on Terror Management Theory suggests that death anxiety is a fundamental existential concern that threatens individuals’ life satisfaction and that, in the process of coping with this anxiety, individuals tend to seek meaning in life. However, studies directly examining the impact of death anxiety on life satisfaction and the mediating role of meaning are lacking. This study aims to investigate the relationship between death anxiety and life satisfaction among adults and to test the mediating role of meaning in life in this relationship. 396 participants completed online scales measuring death anxiety, life satisfaction, and meaning in life. The findings revealed that death anxiety significantly predicted life satisfaction and that meaning in life partially mediated this relationship. The results suggest that meaning in life may play a buffering role in the association between death anxiety and life satisfaction.

PMID:40411438 | DOI:10.1080/07481187.2025.2511255