Attitudes of Elderly Patients and Their Families Toward Physician-Assisted Suicide

This study compares attitudes of elderly patients with medical and psychiatric problems, who were attending a geriatrics clinic, along with their family. Favorable attitudes toward Physician assisted suicide (PAS) were reported by 39.9% of the patients and 59.3% of the relatives in case of terminal illness, 18.2% and 25.3%, respectively, in case of chronic illness, 13.5% and 15.4% respectively, in case of mental incompetence, and 34.0% and 55.6% respectively, for legalization of PAS.