Attitudes of Clinical Psychologists toward Active, Voluntary Euthenasia: An Initial Inquiry
| dc.contributor.author | Hays-Lohrey, Elizabeth | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-04-17T19:28:27Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-04-17T19:28:27Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2000 | |
| dc.description.abstract | As euthanasia gains acceptance in the public, legal, and professional sectors, it appears increasingly incumbent upon clinical psychologists that they inform and clarify their views and understanding of the legal, ethical, and personal issues involved in the controversy. This study was designed to add to the literature on euthanasia by investigating the attitudes of California clinical psychologists towards active, voluntary euthanasia and to augment the discussion about end-of-life decisions by focusing on this issue. It provides a brief historical overview of euthanasia and related issues, a review of the literature that currently dominates the field, and an overview of the arguments often presented for and against euthanasia. It considers the legal aspects of active, voluntary euthanasia and the impact those legalities have on psychologists. The importance of clarifying the role clinical psychologists have in assessing, referring and supporting clients who are investigating active, voluntary euthanasia is also discussed. This study includes a survey consisting of demographic questions and a questionnaire that explores the respondents' opinions concerning active, voluntary euthanasia in general, in non-specified conditions of psychological and physical deterioration, debilitation, and pain, and in six vignettes that depict different psychological and physical conditions. This study found that over 85% of the psychologists who responded supported the idea that active, voluntary euthanasia should be a legal option in this country. In contrast, it was discovered that respondents were much less inclined to approve or support euthanasia when presented with vignettes about clients who were experiencing specific psychological or physical conditions as compared to non-specific conditions. It was determined that, on the whole, respondents were more apt to endorse active, voluntary euthanasia for physical conditions than for psychological ones. This general propensity notwithstanding, respondents supported the request for euthanasia that was made by a client (portrayed in a vignette) with a psychologically deteriorating condition more readily than they did the physical conditions of debilitation or pain. It was conjectured that this anomaly is either the product of the assumption that respondents would perceive Alzheimer's as a psychologically deteriorating condition or a consequence of the ascriptions people make about deterioration. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11803/3261 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher.institution | John F. Kennedy University (JFKU) | |
| dc.title | Attitudes of Clinical Psychologists toward Active, Voluntary Euthenasia: An Initial Inquiry | |
| dc.type | Dissertation | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Psychology | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | John F. Kennedy University (JFKU) | |
| thesis.degree.level | Doctoral | |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Psychology |