Changing attitudes towards euthanasia among medical students in Austria.
BACKGROUND
In most European countries the attitudes regarding the acceptability of active euthanasia have clearly changed in the population since World War II. Therefore, it is interesting to know which trends in attitudes prevail among the physicians of the future.


METHODS
The present study analyses trends in the attitudes towards active euthanasia in medical students at the Medical University of Graz, Austria. The survey was conducted over a period of 9 years, enabling us to investigate trends regarding both attitudes and underlying motives.


RESULTS
Acceptance of active euthanasia increased from 16.3% to 29.1% to 49.5% in the periods from 2001 to 2003/04 to 2008/09.


CONCLUSIONS
The survey period from 2001 to 2009 reveals a massive change in medical students' attitudes towards active euthanasia under medical supervision. Ethical convictions of medical doctors seem to fall back behind a higher valuation of the autonomy of the patient.
Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Universitätsstrasse 6/I, A-8010 Graz, Austria. willibald.stronegger@medunigraz.at
Willibald J
WJ
Stronegger
Christin
C
Schmölzer
Eva
E
Rásky
Wolfgang
W
Freidl
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001317:Austria; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors