Comparative survey study reveals shifting acceptability toward physician-assisted suicide among the public and clinicians, highlighting a growing prioritization of patient autonomy.
End-of-life decisions, including euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS), remain highly debated, particularly in countries like France, where legislative changes are under discussion. This study replicates Guedj et al. to assess changes in acceptability judgments over two decades using Anderson's (1981) information integration theory. Participants from the general public (N = 263: 115 in 2005, 148 in 2024) and healthcare professions (N = 126: 72 in 2005, 54 in 2024) evaluated life-ending decisions across scenarios. The study analyzed four factors: patient desire to die, suffering type (physical, psychiatric, or total dependence), actor (patient/physician), and procedure (active/passive). Results show stable overall acceptability, but PAS gained acceptance, while involuntary euthanasia became less tolerated. Physicians rated these decisions as less acceptable than the public, with nurses and nursing assistants positioned intermediately. Findings underscore increasing patient autonomy, informing France's end-of-life policy debates.
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Guedj et al. (2026) studied this question.
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