Death Anxiety in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Testing REBT Models of Psychopathology and Psychological Health of Death Anxiety.

This article examines the validity of Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) models—specifically the psychopathological and psychological health models—in explaining death anxiety. Using a sample of 200 Romanian adults, the study employed Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to assess how irrational beliefs (demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and global evaluations) and rational beliefs relate to death anxiety, and explored correlations between death anxiety and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Findings supported the REBT psychopathological model, showing that demandingness beliefs influence death anxiety primarily through low frustration tolerance, while the psychological health model did not demonstrate a protective effect of rational beliefs against death anxiety. Additionally, death anxiety was significantly correlated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, highlighting its relevance as a transdiagnostic factor in psychological distress.