Community Attitudes Toward Physician Assisted Suicide

Abstract

Attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide (PAS) were assessed in a sample of 400 community adults, stratified as to gender and socioeconomic class, using a 12-item psychometric scale rather than the more typical survey question. The results indicate that the Domino scale, currently the only psychometric instrument of attitudes toward PAS, is factorially homogeneous and shows considerable internal stability. There were no gender differences, but significant socioeconomic class differences were obtained with better educated, upper class individuals more favorable in attitude than semi-skilled and unskilled poorly educated lower social class individuals. The majority of respondents support physician assisted suicide, but such support is inversely related to age.