Impact Of Mindfulness and Social Support on Death Anxiety and Emotional Regulations Among Older Adults

Abstract

Abstract The aging population is rapidly increasing, resulting in greater psychological challenges for older adults, particularly in areas like emotional regulation and death anxiety. In Pakistan, these concerns are intensified by cultural, societal, and religious influences that often discourage open discussions around death, reinforcing avoidance and fear. This study explores the impact of mindfulness and social support on death anxiety and emotional regulation among older adults in the Pakistani context. A cross-sectional design with purposive sampling was used to collect data from 330 participants aged 50 and above through standardized instruments including the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS Urdu version), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS Urdu version), Death Anxiety Urdu Scale (DAUS Urdu version), and Emotional Regulation Scale (ERS Urdu version). SPSS 25 was used for statistical analysis, employing descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, as well as mediation and moderation models. It was hypothesized that mindfulness would be negatively associated with death anxiety and positively associated with emotional regulation; social supportwould be negatively associated with death anxiety and positively associated with emotional regulation; moreover social support would moderate the relationship between mindfulness and death anxiety and emotional regulation. Results demonstrated that mindfulness significantly predicted lower death anxiety (B = -0.145, p = 0.007) and higher emotional regulation (B = 0.112, p = 0.019). Moderation analysis further demonstrated that social support strengthens the negative relationship between mindfulness and death anxiety, suggesting a synergistic effect. Whereas social support plays a supportive role between mindfulness and emotional regulation. The study calls for the integration of mindfulness-based programs into elderly mental health care, emphasizing the need for cultural and religious adaptability in intervention strategies. Future research should adopt longitudinal approaches and consider variables like gender and socioeconomic status to deepen the understanding of psychological aging. The findings offer practical implications for policymakers and mental health professionals seeking to improve the emotional well-being of older populations in Pakistan.