Abstract
Abstract Attitudes toward physician-assisted death among medical students differ between populations. The aim of this study was to explore attitudes towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide among Spanish university students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by asking undergraduate students (Medicine, Nursing and Law) of the University of Santiago de Compostela to complete an anonymous 17-item questionnaire. Most participants exhibited a positive attitude towards physician-assisted suicide (54%) and euthanasia (75%), as well as towards their legalization. Attitudes were consistent with the underlying ethical reasoning, with no differences in terms of age, gender or academic degree. In addition, consistency was found between attitudes and willingness to participate in physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, should they be legal. The results showed that the attitudes of medical students towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide were positive and similar to non-medical students.
Highlights
Attitudes toward physician-assisted death among medical students differ between populations
The aims of the present study were to explore the views of participants towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, their knowledge and opinion on the law, and their intentions to participate in these procedures if made legal, in three relevant student populations (Medicine, Nursing and Law) at the University of Santiago de Compostela/Spain
An objective evaluation of the results indicates that a majority of respondents exhibited a positive attitude towards physician-assisted suicide (PAS) (54%) and E (75%), which agrees with other studies carried out in the USA 19,20 and Mexico 25, and in some European countries such as the Netherlands 21, Hungary 22, Switzerland 23, Greece 24 and Belgium 26
Summary
Attitudes toward physician-assisted death among medical students differ between populations. The aim of this study was to explore attitudes towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide among Spanish university students. Most participants exhibited a positive attitude towards physician-assisted suicide (54%) and euthanasia (75%), as well as towards their legalization. Consistency was found between attitudes and willingness to participate in physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, should they be legal. The results showed that the attitudes of medical students towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide were positive and similar to non-medical students. Os resultados mostram que a atitude dos estudantes de medicina para a eutanásia e o suicídio assistido é positiva e similar à de estudantes de enfermagem e direito. Los resultados muestran que la actitud de los estudiantes de medicina hacia la eutanasia y el suicidio asistido es positiva y similar a la de estudiantes de enfermería y derecho. Patients must be in a condition of unsupportable and irreversible suffering
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