The Integrated Structural and Measurement Models of Existential Annihilation Anxieties (EAA) and Their Potential Contribution to Clinical Science: Two Studies on Western and Non-Western Samples

Current study integrated the existential annihilation anxieties (EAA) models and identified four EAA types: psychic, collective, status, and physical. Based on this conceptual framework, the authors developed a scale to measure the four types and assessed the scale’s construct and predictive validity, reliability and stability in two Western (UK, N = 178) and non-Western (Egypt, N = 490) samples. The study measured trauma types, PTSD, psychopathology, depression, self-esteem, will to exist and other related variables. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four-factor structure of the construct that was strictly invariant across groups in both samples. EAA and its four subscales were highly correlated with psychopathology, depression, and PTSD, and negatively correlated with “will to exist” and self-esteem in both samples. Path analysis and PROCESS macro indicated that EAA had strong direct effects, and mediated the effects of cumulative trauma on psychopathology. While personal identity trauma predicted psychic EAA, collective identity traumas predicted collective EAA, and status identity trauma predicted status EAA, survival trauma did not predict physical death EAA in either sample. Curve estimation clarified the non-linear dynamics involved in EAA’s types’ intersections and the discrepancy in physical EAA results. We discussed the inclusion of EAA in clinical practice and in the future development of intervention and prevention strategies.