There seems to be a prevailing sentiment that the Maltese culture and society are somewhat unprepared or hesitant to engage in conversations about death.
In fact, the prospect of death arouses anxiety in 43.5% of the Maltese population, and only 33% believe or strongly believe they will be in heaven after they die, it has emerged from a study recently conducted by the University’s Faculty for Social Wellbeing.
Titled ‘A Study about Death Attitude Profile among the Maltese Population’, this analysis took a closer look at some of the beliefs Maltese people hold in issues surrounding death.
The survey was carried out telephonically among 400 Maltese individuals between August and September of 2023.
While the majority of respondents are of the opinion that death is a natural, undeniable and unavoidable event, they also think of it as a form of escape from all of their earthly troubles and it spells the promise of a new, glorious life.
A neutral stance expressed by a significant number of respondents has been evident through their admittance that they push away thoughts of death whenever it enters their mind and they always try not to think about it much.
With regards to the support available for individuals coping with the loss of a loved one, the indication is that there is a modest degree of support present to some capacity.
These results analysed through what is called the Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R), a psychological assessment tool designed to measure an individual’s attitudes and beliefs about death and dying.
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