The Role of Values and Experience in Determining Social Workers' Attitudes Toward Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

ABSTRACT

This article reports results of a study examining the impact of personal and professional values and experience on 122 hospital social workers' attitudes toward euthanasia and assisted suicide. Respect for self-determination was rated as the most important consideration in end-of-life issues. Predictors of social workers' agreement that euthanasia should be legal were: self-determination, religious beliefs, educational level (BSW/MSW), and for assisted suicide were: religious beliefs, belief in the potential for abuse, educational level and participation in ethics training. The findings underscore the need for social workers' awareness of how an interplay of personal and professional factors in potentially explosive ethical issues may influence practice in health care settings.

Key Words:

• End-of-life
• assisted suicide
• euthanasia
• ethical issues
• attitudes