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American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Vol. 20, No. 2, 99-104 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/104990910302000207
© 2003 SAGE Publications

A longitudinal study of attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia among patients with noncurable malignancy

Jaime Pacheco, MD

Dayton VA Medical Center and Department of Medicine, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio

Paul J. Hershberger, PhD

Department of Family Medicine, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio

Ronald J. Markert, PhD

Center for Medical Education, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska

Geetika Kumar, MD

Dayton VA Medical Center and Department of Medicine, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio

This longitudinal study investigated whether attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and euthanasia (E) are stable among patients with noncurable malignancy, and whether depression and various coping strategies were related to such attitudes. Thirty patients with noncurable malignancies completed questionnaires measuring attitudes toward PAS and E, depression, and coping. Three months later, and subsequently at six-month intervals, repeated measures were obtained from 24 patients.

There was a trend for patients to become less supportive of legalizing PAS and E from the initial to last attitude measurement. Depression was unrelated to attitude change. There were significant changes on two coping dimensions: use of social support for emotional reasons and use of religious resources. Our findings should be considered in clinical, legislative, and ethical debates.

Key Words: coping mechanisms • depression • euthanasia • patients’ attitudes • physician-assisted suicide • terminal illness • psychological symptoms


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