PP-53 Relationship between the concept of a good death, self-compassion, and fear of death in Portuguese university students: an observational study

Introduction The fear of death has been a driving force for humanity since the dawn of time. In today’s society, the process of dying has been moved from the community to the hospital setting. Literacy about death and palliative care has been largely neglected. The fear of death can be an obstacle to providing end-of-life care. Fostering self-compassion may be a valid strategy. Aims To evaluate the relationship between the concept of a good death, self-compassion, and fear of death in university students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at a university in Portugal between November 2024 and January 2025 through the application of an e-survey using validated scales. Results A total of 310 valid responses were obtained. The average age of respondents was 25±8.52 years, and 75.2% were female. Fear of the death of others proved to be more important than fear of one’s own death. The overall mean score for fear of death was relatively low (99.22±21.97), but was higher among women, younger individuals, and health students. Pearson’s correlation matrix showed a positive correlation between fear of death and the concept of a good death, and a negative correlation between fear of death and self-compassion. Conclusion The factors that significantly influenced fear of death in university students were gender, age, attending a health course, the importance attributed to the areas of control and closure in the concept of a good death, and over-identification on the self-compassion scale. Impact Fear of death in university students is a reality that can Impact end-of-life care for individuals in the community and in a professional context. The low levels of self-compassion found constitute an opportunity for intervention, as well as strategies for death literacy, training in palliative care, and involvement in community movements within the scope of Compassionate Communities.