Spiritual Counseling and Guidance Regarding Death Anxiety in Adolescents

Abstract

This study aims to examine adolescents’ death anxiety and their thoughts about the afterlife, with the goal of informing spiritual counseling and guidance services in schools. The research was conducted with 100 adolescents using the Muslim Spiritual Attachment Scale, the Templer Death Anxiety Scale, and a personal information form. Although death is a natural part of human life, it has historically been a subject of curiosity, as it is an experience that cannot be directly lived. Disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, and theology have examined death from various perspectives; however, it remains a difficult and mysterious concept for individuals to accept. Adolescents, in particular, often struggle to cope on their own when faced with challenging experiences. At this point, guidance based on adolescents’ religious beliefs and spiritual values can help them manage emotional and psychological difficulties, such as fear of death, grief, and the search for meaning. The findings of the study indicate significant differences in adolescents’ perceptions of spiritual attachment according to school type. The overall mean score for death anxiety was calculated as 4.1/7.00, suggesting that adolescents’ anxiety levels are slightly above the medium level. The total mean score for spiritual attachment was 3.56/5, indicating that adolescents’ perceptions of spiritual attachment are at a moderate-to-high level.