Psychological issues in euthanasia, suicide, and assisted suicide.
This paper reviews various life-ending techniques such as euthanasia, suicide, and assisted suicide in order to better address the psychological issues related to these actions. Specific attention is paid to investigating when a death is deemed to be appropriate and the role that the level of appropriateness should play in the decisions of individuals to terminate a life. In addition, a number of additional psychological concepts such as locus of control and subjective norms are examined in terms of their importance for decisions regarding euthanasia and suicide.
Lester
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Center for the Study of Suicide, RR41, 5 Stonegate Court, Blackwood, NJ 08012, USA.
D001293:Attitude to Death; D003376:Counseling / Q000941:ethics; D033101:Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011788:Quality of Life; D013405:Suicide / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology*; D017236:Suicide, Assisted; D000092864:Suicide Prevention