Date Submitted
5-22-2025
Faculty Advisor
Nichmarie Soto Bonilla
Abstract
As the proportion of older adults grows, so will the need for psychologists who work with them. Psychologists will encounter clients facing death-related issues as the population ages; therefore, doctoral psychology students need to be comfortable treating elderly clients. There are no known studies on death anxiety and willingness to work with older adults (willingness) that include the factor of communication apprehension about death. This study addressed communication apprehension about death, as effective communication about death-related topics is critical to working with older adults. Hypotheses included: (1) students who have more death anxiety will be less willing to work with older adults, (2) students who have more communication apprehension about death will be less willing to work with older adults, and (3) the relationship between death anxiety and willingness will be affected by the level of student communication apprehension. This survey research study used a convenience sample of 83 clinical psychology doctoral students across the U.S. Willingness was analyzed in relation to death anxiety and communication apprehension about death using linear regressions and a mediation analysis. The linear regressions demonstrated that students with more death anxiety and more communication apprehension about death are less willing to work with older adults. The mediation analysis demonstrated that students’ communication apprehension about death does not mediate the relationship between death anxiety and willingness. A follow up multiple linear regression explored factors affecting the no mediation finding, which demonstrated that the tests measuring the constructs of death anxiety and communication apprehension overlap, invalidating the mediation. These findings contribute to an understanding of the influence of different factors that affect trainees’ decision to work with older adults and allows for graduate level training to incorporate these factors into training to increase willingness to work with older adults.
