Mindfulness and Death Anxiety Among Emerging Adults of Kerala
Nihar Mahamood, Joseph C Mamman, Anagha K T
Indian Journal of Health Studies 2026 DOI: 10.56490/ijhs.2026.8102 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 440 |
| Population | Emerging adults aged 18–29 years in Kerala, India |
| Measures | Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Death Anxiety Beliefs and Behaviours Scale |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness correlated negatively with death anxiety but accounted for only 1.9% of its variance. Acting with awareness and nonjudgmental inner experience were the strongest negative predictors, while the description facet positively predicted the anxiety subscale, and death anxiety was elevated among females. |
Abstract
Emerging adulthood, a phase of intense self-exploration, heightens vulnerability to existential concerns, particularly death anxiety. Mindfulness may serve as a vital buffer, yet its role remains underexplored within Indian, particularly South Indian, contexts. This study investigates the relationship between mindfulness and death anxiety among emerging adults in Kerala, examining how specific facets of mindfulness relate to different dimensions of death anxiety and whether sociodemographic factors influence these constructs. A crosssectional survey was conducted among 440 emerging adults (aged 18–29 years). The FiveFacet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the Death Anxiety Beliefs and Behaviours Scale were administered through online platforms. Data were analysed using non-parametric tests. Additionally, both simple and multiple linear regressions were conducted to determine the predictive power of mindfulness and its facets on global death anxiety and its subscales. Mindfulness has a significant negative correlation with death anxiety, and it accounted for 1.9% of the variance (R² = .019). Notably, the facets acting with awareness and nonjudgmental inner experience were found to be the strongest negative predictors, while the description facet positively predicted the anxiety subscale. Death anxiety was elevated among females. Mindfulness may act as a buffer against death anxiety in emerging adults. Findings suggest that fostering specific mindfulness facets and integrating mindfulness-based practices into youth mental health initiatives and educational programs could enhance existential wellbeing and resilience in a culturally sensitive way.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological flexibility mediates the relations between acute psychedelic effects and subjective decreases in depression and anxiety. International sample of people who reported having used a psychedelic | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 985 |
| The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Internet survey respondents reporting challenging experiences with psilocybin | 2016 | Questionnaire development and validation | |
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| Ecstasy/MDMA attributed problems reported by novice, moderate and heavy recreational users Ecstasy users who participated in a WWW study of recreational drug use | 2002 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 282 |
| 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used in a naturalistic group setting is associated with unintended improvements in depression and anxiety. Adults who used 5-MeO-DMT in a group setting with structured procedures | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 362 |