Attitudes on euthanasia among medical students and doctors in Sri Lanka: a cross sectional study

• Published in: BMC medical ethics Vol. 22; no. 1; p. 162
• Main Authors: Herath, H M M T B, Wijayawardhana, K W S M, Wickramarachchi, U I, Rodrigo, Chaturaka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 07.12.2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Assisted suicide; Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitudes; Beliefs, opinions and attitudes; College students; Colleges & universities; Cross sectional study; Cross-Sectional Studies; Curricula; Ethical aspects; Ethics; Euthanasia; Humans; Laws, regulations and rules; Male; Medical ethics; Medical schools; Medical students; Patients; Physician assisted suicide; Physicians; Polls & surveys; Public sector; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Religion; Sri Lanka; Students, Medical; Suicide, Assisted; Suicides & suicide attempts; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Terminal illnesses; Variables; Sri Lanka; United States > US; Physician assisted suicide; Sri Lanka; Cross sectional study; Euthanasia
• ISSN: 1472-6939; 1472-6939
• DOI: 10.1186/s12910-021-00731-2

Euthanasia is a topic of intense ethical debate and it is illegal in most countries at present, including Sri Lanka. The aim of this descriptive cross-sectional study of medical students and practicing doctors was to explore the acceptance of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide (PAS), and factors influencing this opinion. A customised online questionnaire which explored opinions on euthanasia was administered to first and final year medical undergraduates in University of Colombo and practicing doctors with more than 5 years of work experience at The National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Attitudes on euthanasia and PAS were also assessed with the attitudes towards euthanasia (ATE) Scale, which is a 10-item questionnaire. A total of 425 individuals responded (males: 178, 42%, age: median - 27 years), which included 143 (33.6%) first-year medical undergraduates, 141 (33.2%) final-year medical undergraduates and 141 (33.2%) practicing doctors. More participants (200, 47.1%) favoured legalizing euthanasia than those directly opposing it (110, 25.9%), but a significant proportion (27%) remained undecided. The mean scores of ATE questionnaire from the whole sample were generally unfavourable towards euthanasia/PAS. Accepting euthanasia as an option for oneself (p =  < 0.001) was the strongest predictor of favouring euthanasia/PAS or supporting its legalization. In this cross-sectional survey, more respondents supported legalisation of euthanasia in Sri Lanka than those openly opposing it. Yet, a significant minority that responded as "undecided" for legalisation, were more likely to have unfavourable ATE.