Motivations, Death Anxiety, and Empathy in Hospice Volunteers in France

1. Meriem Garbay, MA1⇑
2. Marie-Claire Gay, PhD1
3. Stephen Claxton-Oldfield, PhD, CT2

1. ¹Department of Psychology, The University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Nanterre, France
2. ²Department of Psychology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, Canada

1. Meriem Garbay, MA, The University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, 200 avenue de la République, Nanterre, 92000, France. Email: meriem.garbay@gmail.com

Abstract

This study examined the motivations for volunteering of hospice volunteers in France.

 In addition, their levels of death anxiety and empathy were measured and compared with those of French non-hospice volunteers and non-volunteers. 

Three questionnaires—the Inventory of Motivations for Hospice Palliative Care Volunteerism (IMHPCV),¹ the Templer/McMordie Death Anxiety Scale², and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index³—were sent via an Internet link to 2 hospice volunteer associations and to non-hospice volunteers and non-volunteers (only the hospice volunteers received the IMHPCV). Altruistic motives had the most influence on the respondents’ decision to become a hospice volunteer. 

French hospice volunteers scored significantly lower on 3 categories of motives on the IMHPCV compared to a sample of Canadian hospice palliative care volunteers (study 2),¹ suggesting that cultural differences may be involved. No significant differences were found in levels of death anxiety or empathy between the 3 groups of respondents of the study.