Demographic influences on Lithuanian physicians’ attitudes toward medical assistance in dying: a cross-sectional study
BackgroundThe topic of end-of-life decisions is important due to aging populations and the rising number of terminal illnesses like cancer. As more people experience suffering, the ethical, medical, and legal debates of these decisions become significant to healthcare policy. Understanding medical p...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1507790/full |
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| author | Benedikt Bachmetjev Artur Airapetian Marija Jakubauskienė Rolandas Zablockis Asta Čekanauskaitė |
| author_facet | Benedikt Bachmetjev Artur Airapetian Marija Jakubauskienė Rolandas Zablockis Asta Čekanauskaitė |
| author_sort | Benedikt Bachmetjev |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThe topic of end-of-life decisions is important due to aging populations and the rising number of terminal illnesses like cancer. As more people experience suffering, the ethical, medical, and legal debates of these decisions become significant to healthcare policy. Understanding medical professionals’ attitudes is critical for shaping responsible practices and legislation surrounding end-of-life care.MethodsThis cross-sectional study explores the attitudes of Lithuanian physicians toward medical assistance in dying (MAID), including euthanasia and assisted suicide (E/PAS), as well as other end-of-life decisions such as Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders and Living Wills, including decisions involving patients diagnosed with mental illnesses. A survey of 361 physicians in Lithuanian hospitals was conducted between October 2022 and July 2024, using hospital intranets and on-site distribution to guarantee representative sample. The survey included demographic factors such as age, gender, religious beliefs, and professional experience. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0 and R software. Chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, and logistic regression models were made to determine relationships, with significance set at p < 0.05.ResultsThe analysis showed that 61.2% of physicians supported assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, while only 19.1% supported it for patients with drug-resistant mental illness. Similarly, 61.5% supported euthanasia for terminal illness. Age, religious beliefs, and professional experience were significant determinants of support, with younger and non-religious physicians more likely to endorse E/PAS. Additionally, 92.2% of respondents supported DNR orders with patient consent, though this dropped to 63.1% without patient consent.ConclusionsLithuanian physicians’ attitudes toward E/PAS and other end-of-life decisions are strongly influenced by ethical, religious, and professional considerations. Significantly lower acceptance for psychiatric patients indicates higher sensitivity regarding mental competency and the ethics of E/PAS in such cases. These findings provide important insights for policymakers and healthcare providers in crafting informed and ethical E/PAS guidelines. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2741c1aa73b5430f8fa735450d28cb0d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-2741c1aa73b5430f8fa735450d28cb0d2025-01-07T06:43:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-01-011510.3389/fpsyt.2024.15077901507790Demographic influences on Lithuanian physicians’ attitudes toward medical assistance in dying: a cross-sectional studyBenedikt Bachmetjev0Artur Airapetian1Marija Jakubauskienė2Rolandas Zablockis3Asta Čekanauskaitė4Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, LithuaniaFaculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, LithuaniaPublic Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Vilnius University, Vilnius, LithuaniaClinic of Chest Diseases, Immunology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, LithuaniaThe Centre for Health Ethics, Law and History, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Vilnius University, Vilnius, LithuaniaBackgroundThe topic of end-of-life decisions is important due to aging populations and the rising number of terminal illnesses like cancer. As more people experience suffering, the ethical, medical, and legal debates of these decisions become significant to healthcare policy. Understanding medical professionals’ attitudes is critical for shaping responsible practices and legislation surrounding end-of-life care.MethodsThis cross-sectional study explores the attitudes of Lithuanian physicians toward medical assistance in dying (MAID), including euthanasia and assisted suicide (E/PAS), as well as other end-of-life decisions such as Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders and Living Wills, including decisions involving patients diagnosed with mental illnesses. A survey of 361 physicians in Lithuanian hospitals was conducted between October 2022 and July 2024, using hospital intranets and on-site distribution to guarantee representative sample. The survey included demographic factors such as age, gender, religious beliefs, and professional experience. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0 and R software. Chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, and logistic regression models were made to determine relationships, with significance set at p < 0.05.ResultsThe analysis showed that 61.2% of physicians supported assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, while only 19.1% supported it for patients with drug-resistant mental illness. Similarly, 61.5% supported euthanasia for terminal illness. Age, religious beliefs, and professional experience were significant determinants of support, with younger and non-religious physicians more likely to endorse E/PAS. Additionally, 92.2% of respondents supported DNR orders with patient consent, though this dropped to 63.1% without patient consent.ConclusionsLithuanian physicians’ attitudes toward E/PAS and other end-of-life decisions are strongly influenced by ethical, religious, and professional considerations. Significantly lower acceptance for psychiatric patients indicates higher sensitivity regarding mental competency and the ethics of E/PAS in such cases. These findings provide important insights for policymakers and healthcare providers in crafting informed and ethical E/PAS guidelines.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1507790/fulleuthanasiaassisted suicideend-of-life decisionsmedical assistance in dying (MAID)Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) ordersliving wills |
| spellingShingle | Benedikt Bachmetjev Artur Airapetian Marija Jakubauskienė Rolandas Zablockis Asta Čekanauskaitė Demographic influences on Lithuanian physicians’ attitudes toward medical assistance in dying: a cross-sectional study Frontiers in Psychiatry euthanasia assisted suicide end-of-life decisions medical assistance in dying (MAID) Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders living wills |
| title | Demographic influences on Lithuanian physicians’ attitudes toward medical assistance in dying: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Demographic influences on Lithuanian physicians’ attitudes toward medical assistance in dying: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Demographic influences on Lithuanian physicians’ attitudes toward medical assistance in dying: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Demographic influences on Lithuanian physicians’ attitudes toward medical assistance in dying: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Demographic influences on Lithuanian physicians’ attitudes toward medical assistance in dying: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | demographic influences on lithuanian physicians attitudes toward medical assistance in dying a cross sectional study |
| topic | euthanasia assisted suicide end-of-life decisions medical assistance in dying (MAID) Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders living wills |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1507790/full |
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