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UK public’s views and perceptions about the legalisation of assisted dying and assisted suicide

UK public’s views and perceptions about the legalisation of assisted dying and assisted suicide

Pentaris, Panagiotis ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5593-8555 and Jacobs, Lucy (2020) UK public’s views and perceptions about the legalisation of assisted dying and assisted suicide. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 86 (1). pp. 203-217. ISSN 0030-2228 (Print), 1541-3764 (Online) (doi:10.1177/0030222820947254)

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Abstract

Current debates about assisted dying and assisted suicide cover a series of medical, legal, moral, ethical and religious aspects. Yet, public views on the subject remain underexplored and, therefore, not always accounted for in the formation of public policy. This paper reports on empirical data from a cross-sectional study in the UK in 2019, which examines public views about the legalisation of assisted dying and assis- ted suicide, by means of a self-administered Qualtrics-based survey (self-devised vignettes). A combination of simple random and convenience sampling was used. Participants (n1⁄4297) state their preference that both assisted dying and assisted suicide should be legalised in the UK (n1⁄470%), while doctors should be legally allowed to support such wishes of patients with an incurable and painful illness from which they will die (n1⁄462.22%). The paper concludes that public opinion needs to be further accounted for in policymaking and discourses regarding patient autonomy and dignity of care.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: assisted dying; assisted suicide; UK; euthanasia; illness
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
K Law > K Law (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences
Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development
Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Chronic Illness and Ageing
Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Inequalities
Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences > Centre for Applied Sociology Research (CASR)
Last Modified: 18 Nov 2022 18:05
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/29137

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