Attitudes toward euthanasia and justifying reasons of elderly Israelis andtheir family members

The purpose of the current study was to reach an interpretive understanding of the reasons underlying favorable and unfavorable attitudes of Israeli e lderly adults and their family members toward euthanasia. The informants we re 47 individuals representing 19 families who were asked for their attitud es toward four case studies that represented withholding and withdrawing tr eatment, active euthanasia, and physician-assisted death. Results of the gr ounded theory analysis revealed that most of the participants favored withh olding life-sustaining treatment and that almost half of them thought activ e euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide were morally acceptable as long as the decision was made by the individual patient himself or herself (vol untary). The reasons that justified their attitude Positions were named acc ording to six dimensions: promoting life, promoting death, self-control, de legators, allowing to die, and one-way street. The analysis further examine d similar reasons that were provided as justifications for attitudes by two or more family members. These family reason dimensions were labeled accord ing to their similarities to various ethical perspectives, including charac ter ethics, natural laws, liberal individualism, communitarianism, benefice nce, and casuistry. The research highlighted the importance of self-control as a core concern of individuals and family members when addressing the mo ral issues surrounding euthanasia.