title: Therapeutic death: a look at Oregon's law.
abstract: Oregon voters approved the first American statute authorizing physician-assisted suicide, the Oregon Death With Dignity Act, in 1994. The authors of this article identify some positive and negative psychological effects of laws such as Oregon's on patients. Generally, they conclude, on the basis of psychological theory and the available data, that laws such as Oregon's benefit patients psychologically. Undoubtedly, however, there exist important possible antitherapeutic effects on patients, and the authors hope that discussion of both therapeutic and antitherapeutic consequences will stimulate future research by social scientists in this area.
authors.affiliation: Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, 3305 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33314, USA. cerminarak@nsu.law.nova.edu
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Cerminara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perez
mesh_terms: D003068:Coercion; D033101:Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007883:Legislation, Medical; D009922:Oregon; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012922:Social Change; D012945:Social Values; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology*; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology