ASSISTED SUICIDE AND AIDS PATIENTS - A SURVEY OF PHYSICIANS ATTITUDES

Physicians' attitudes about assisted suicide were assessed by using a vignette of an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient who requests a lethal injection. Of the 389 respondents, 34% received at l east 1 request for assisted suicide; 9% had requests from an AIDS pati ent; and 41% had at least indirectly assisted a terminal patient to di e in actual practice. Thirty-three percent of the respondents agreed t o the authors' hypothetical patient's request for a lethal injection. Medical and personal experiences did not determine attitudes that were somewhat influenced by ethical beliefs and religious commitment. The study confirms previous findings that many physicians underestimate th e effect of depressive illness on rational decision making concerning assisted suicide requests.