The Effect of Spiritual Reminiscence Therapy on Death Anxiety Among Patients Hospitalized in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction Spirituality, by connecting individuals to a higher power and providing life with meaning, is considered a key factor in alleviating death anxiety. This study is aimed at examining the effect of spiritual reminiscence therapy on death anxiety among patients hospitalized in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). Methods This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 70 cardiac patients admitted to the CICUs of Larestan and Jahrom Hospitals in 2024. Participants were conveniently sampled and randomly assigned to either the control group (usual care) or the intervention group (spiritual reminiscence therapy). Patients in the intervention group received a spiritual reminiscence program delivered in three sessions. The program was based on spiritual themes from MacKinlay′s study and aligned with Erikson′s psychosocial developmental stages. Data were collected before and immediately after the intervention using a demographic checklist and the Templer Death Anxiety Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 23, employing descriptive and inferential statistical tests. Results The mean age of participants in the intervention and control groups was 54.66 ± 11.86 and 57.66 ± 9.19 years, respectively ( p = 0.362). The majority of participants in both groups were male (57.10% and 62.90%, respectively; p = 0.626). There was no significant difference in baseline death anxiety scores between the groups ( p = 0.094). After the intervention, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in death anxiety compared with the control group ( p = 0.004). After controlling for confounding variables, the intervention significantly reduced the mean death anxiety score by 2.195 points ( p = 0.008). Conclusion Spiritual reminiscence therapy effectively reduces death anxiety in cardiac patients hospitalized in intensive care units. It is recommended to incorporate this therapy into comprehensive nursing and spiritual care in hospital settings.