Psychologists, psychiatrists, and physician-assisted suicide: The relationship between underlying beliefs and professional behavior

Would you, as a practicing professional, conduct evaluations of patients de siring physician-assisted suicide (PAS)? Would you assist directly? The aut hors surveyed psychologists and psychiatrists licensed in New Mexico in ord er to understand the ethical reasoning mental health practitioners use maki ng judgements about PAS and to discern what criteria they use in responding to patients desiring aid in dying. Fundamental agreement on the validity o f various justifications for or against PAS suggests open-mindedness and em pathy. Yet, practitioners report a tendency to act in accordance with their own belief systems rather than the patient's, raising questions about obje ctivity. How do you compare to these professionals?