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An Existential Perspective on Death Anxiety, Retirement, and Related Research Problems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2016

John W. Osborne
John W. Osborne*
Affiliation:
University of Alberta, Edmonton
*
*La correspondance et les demandes de tire-à-part doivent être adressées à : / Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Dr. John Osborne, Ph.D. 4387 Faithwood Road Victoria, BC V8X 4Y6 (josborne@islandnet.com)
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Abstract

Aspects of existentialism relevant to existence and death anxiety (DA) are discussed. Included are the “thrownness” of existence, being-with-others, the motivational influence of inevitable death, the search for meaning, making the most of existence by taking responsibility for one’s own life, and coping with existential isolation. The attempted separation of DA from object anxiety is a significant difficulty. The correlations among age, gender, and DA are variable. Personality and role-oriented problems in the transition to retirement are discussed along with Erikson’s notion of “generativity” as an expression of the energy and purpose of mid-life. Furthermore, methodological and linguistic problems in DA research are considered. The article suggests qualitative methodologies as an interpersonal means of exploring DA within the contexts of psychotherapy and counselling.

Résumé

Les auteurs discutent des aspects de l’existentialisme se rapportant à l’existence et de l’anxiété sur la mort (AM). Le facticité de l’existence, l’être-avec-les autres, l’influence sur la motivation de l’inéluctabilité de la mort, la quête de sens, profitant de la vie au maximum en acceptant responsabilité de sa propre vie, et la capacité de faire face à l’isolement existentiel sont tous compris dans cette discussion. Une difficulté importante c’est de séparer AM de l’anxiété de l’objet. On trouve que les corrélations entre l’âge, le sexe et AM sont variables. On discute des problèmes de personnalité et de l’orientation du rôle dans la transition vers la retraite, ainsi que la notion de Erikson de la « générativité » en tant qu’expression de l’énergie et le but de la quarantaine. Considération des problèmes méthodologiques et linguistiques dans la recherche d’AM sont discutés. En conclusion, cet article suggère des méthodologies qualitatives comme un moyen interpersonnel d’exploration d’AM dans le contexte de la psychothérapie et du services de conseil.

Keywords

agingdeath anxietyexistentialmeaningretirementvieillissementanxiété sur la mortexistentielretraitesignification
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , June 2017 , pp. 246 - 255
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Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2016 

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