Assisted Suicide Essay - 2089 Words

The legalization of assisted suicide has been a controversial topic that has created a divide within the medical community, as well as the general public, for many years. Assisted suicide occurs when a patient decides to take their own life, with help from their doctor. The doctor can end the patient’s life without causing any additional pain or suffering. While some believe that assisted suicide should be legal for patients who are suffering from a terminal and painful condition, others argue that it is unethical and going against the doctor’s oath to help and not harm their patients. As the average life expectancy age increases, people are living longer while also having to live with more serious illnesses. As a result, lives are†¦show more content†¦The ten areas included, symptoms, social supports, communication with health providers, spiritual meaning, care needs, end of life plans, economic burdens, sociodemographics, preferences regarding end-of-lif e care and euthanasia and assisted suicide, and stress of the interview (Ezekiel et al., 2000). The findings from the surveys showed that in hypothetical scenarios, 60.2% of the terminally ill patients supported euthanasia or assisted suicide, despite the fact that only 10.6% of the patients seriously contemplated it for themselves (Ezekiel et al., 2000). Many factors play into individuals choosing not to take their own life, even if they believe that others should have the right to. For example, the patients that had loved ones present in their lives were not as likely to take their own lives, but the patients that were alone, causing them to be depressed, as well as the patients who needed more intense care, were much more likely to see euthanasia or assisted suicide as a legitimate option (Ezekiel et al., 2000). 58.7% of the caregivers supported the use of euthanasia for their patients who were in pain (Ezekiel et al., 2000). After the surveys were completed, follow up intervi ews were conducted six months later in order to see how the patients and caregivers views might have changed (Ezekiel et al., 2000). The study concluded that the surveys done proved that a large majority of terminally ill patients, as well as theirShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Assisted Suicide And Suicide1062 Words   |  5 PagesAfter researching assisted suicide I have more questions than when I started. 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