The impact of death education

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Abstract
Published outcome research on the impact of death education was reviewed using metaanalytic procedures. Programs have been more successful in changing participants' attitudes on death-related issues (mean effect = 0.67) than their personal feelings about death (mean = 0.18). In terms of affective outcomes, experiential programs that focus on personal feelings about death were significantly more effective than didactic programs not containing such an emphasis. Moreover, half of the latter programs produced negative effects on affective outcomes. Results illustrate the importance of considering types of outcomes and types of programs when assessing the impact of death education. Several recommendations are offered to improve future research.