Would physician-assisted suicide jeopardize trust in the medical services? An empirical study of attitudes among the general public in Sweden

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the attitudes among the Swedish population towards physician-assisted suicide, with special regard to the possible effects on trust in the medical services of physician-assisted suicide being allowed.

Design: A postal questionnaire about physician-assisted suicide under certain conditions and its possible influence on trust in the medical services was distributed to 1206 randomly selected individuals living in the county of Stockholm. Two reminders were distributed, followed by a short version of the questionnaire containing only the question about the attitude towards physician-assisted suicide.

Results: The total response rate was 51%, a short-version reminder adding another 7%. Of all participants, 73% were in favour of physician-assisted suicide, 12% were against, and 15% were undecided. They believed that their trust in the medical services would increase (38%) or not be influenced at all (45%) if physician-assisted suicide were to be allowed. However, 75% of those who were against physician-assisted suicide believed that their trust would decrease. As compared to those reporting high trust in medical services (n = 492), those with low trust (n = 97) stated that their trust would increase, 36% (confidence interval (CI) = 35-37%) vs. 49% (95% CI = 39-59%). Thirty-three per cent (95% CI = 28-38%) of the younger respondents (<50 years), and 43% (95% CI = 37-49%) of the older respondents believed that their trust would increase.

Conclusions: We found no evidence for the assumption that trust in the medical services would be unambiguously jeopardized if physician-assisted suicide were to be legalized. Only among the minority who opposed physician-assisted suicide did a majority of respondents report that their trust would decrease.