Motivations for Physician-Assisted Suicide: Patient and Family Voices

This study included 60 individuals who were recruited through advocacy organizations that counsel individuals interested in physician-assisted suicide in order to obtain detailed narrative accounts of their motivations. A content analysis was done of 159 semi-structured interviews with patients, family member, & family members of deceased patients. Most patients were motivated to ask for physician-assisted suicide due to illness-related experiences, a loss of their sense of self, & fears for the future. None of the patients were acutely depressed when planning physician-assisted suicide. (34 refs)