Abstract
This article considers a particular aspect of palliative psychology that is inherent to the needs in the area of attitudes concerning Advance Healthcare Directives (AHDs) among Italian physicians and nurses after the promulgation of Law No. 219/2017 on AHDs and informed consent in 2018. The study utilized a mixed-method approach. The group of participants was composed of 102 healthcare professionals (63 females and 39 males). The quantitative part utilized the following scales: Attitudes toward Euthanasia, the Religious Orientation Scale, the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding, and the Testoni Death Representation Scale. The results were mostly in line with the current literature, especially concerning a positive correlation between religiosity and the participants’ rejection of the idea of euthanasia. However, the qualitative results showed both positive and negative attitudes towards AHDs, with four main thematic areas: “Positive aspects of the new law and of AHDs”, “Negative aspects of the new law and of AHDs”, “Changes that occurred in the professional context and critical incidents”, and “Attitudes towards euthanasia requests.” It emerged that there is not any polarization between Catholics or religious people and secularists: Their positions are substantially similar with respect to all aspects, including with regard to euthanasia. The general result is that the law is not sufficiently understood, and so a quarter of the participants associate AHDs with euthanasia. Discussions on the opportunity for palliative psychologists to help health professionals to better manage these issues through death education courses are presented.
Highlights
Palliative psychology is gaining increasing importance in the intervention in the care of terminal patients, but especially in the context of promoting positive relationships between the healthcare community and patients’ families [1,2]
In order to fill this gap, the present study has investigated the experiences of doctors and nurses working in healthcare systems with specific experience with people affected by cancer, dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and other severe illnesses with respect to their points of view on Advance Healthcare Directives (AHDs), Law No 219, and euthanasia
The analysis shows that participants with a lower intrinsic religiosity and a lower fear of death of others but with a higher fear of dying of others have more favorable attitudes towards euthanasia
Summary
Palliative psychology is gaining increasing importance in the intervention in the care of terminal patients, but especially in the context of promoting positive relationships between the healthcare community and patients’ families [1,2]. With respect to the cultural context, Italian bioethical history has long been marked by a dysfunctional. The development and diffusion of palliative care and the recognition of the importance of paying psychological attention to the patient have significantly changed the cultural climate, so much so that on 31 January 2018, Law No 219 (“Norms concerning informed consent and Advance Healthcare Directives”) became effective, marking a fundamental turning point in Italian palliative care practices. The law, containing regulations on informed consent for medical care, Advance Healthcare Directives (AHDs), and advance care planning, was approved by the Italian Parliament in December 2017, and it came into force on
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
