End-of-life care volunteers’ initial motivational profile and their death anxiety: A latent profile analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of volunteers’ motivational profiles on death anxiety, related to end-of-life care (EoLC). All 548 people about to enter EoLC volunteer training in Hong Kong in 2023 were recruited. They completed a self-administered structured baseline questionnaire included demographics, the 30-item Chinese version of the Volunteer Functions Inventory (C-VFI), the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (T-DAS) and the self-rated health variable. Latent Profile Analysis identified four motivational subgroups: autonomous-oriented, controlled-oriented, double-high (high in both autonomous and controlled motivations), and double-low (low in both). People with composite motivations, regardless of intensity, had higher death anxiety compared to people with a single dominant motivation. Autonomous motivation may not offset the negative effects of controlled motivations in the double-high group, but autonomous-oriented individuals experienced better wellbeing than controlled-oriented ones. These findings support Self-Determination Theory studies and emphasize the unique connection between volunteer motivations and death anxiety in EoLC. This indicates better identification of individuals who are susceptible to death anxiety, and enhances understanding of how volunteers’ motivation influences their approach to providing EoLC.