Examination of death anxiety and resilience levels in mothers of pediatric hematology-oncology patients

Parents of children with hematological-oncological conditions face significant psychological challenges, including heightened death anxiety and diminished resilience. This study examined the relationships between resilience, death anxiety, and socio-demographic characteristics among caregiving mothers of children receiving treatment in a pediatric hematology-oncology clinic and children's ambulatory unit. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at a hospital in southeastern of Türkiye between July 2022 and April 2023. Data were collected using the Turkish Death Anxiety Scale, the Mother Resilience Scale, and a Participant Information Form. Analyses included chi-square, Mann - Whitney U, Kruskal - Wallis, Spearman's correlation, multiple linear regression, and mediation analysis. Higher educational attainment was significantly associated with greater resilience (χ² = 25.195, p < 0.001); university-educated mothers had the highest scores (M = 145.56 ± 27.48). Sub-dimension means for death anxiety were: Ambiguity = 21.96 ± 13.37, Exposure = 13.93 ± 9.57, and Agony = 7.67 ± 4.03. Resilience and death anxiety were weakly but significantly inversely correlated (ρ = -0.155, p = 0.047). Regression analysis showed that educational level negatively predicted death anxiety (B = -4.715, β = -0.278, p = 0.002; Adjusted R² = 0.056). Mediation analysis confirmed that resilience did not mediate this association (indirect effect = -0.38, 95% CI [-1.66, 0.42]). Educational status directly fosters resilience and reduces death anxiety, while resilience independently influences psychological adaptation. Interventions should therefore target resilience enhancement and individualized support to mitigate death anxiety among caregiving mothers.