Wendy P. Heath

Attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide: Effects of physician background, patient prognosis and patient mental health status

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate views toward physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as patient illness (terminal, not terminal), patient mental health (depressed, not depressed) and physician background (preoccupied, not preoccupied with death) are varied. Participants (N = 211) read a newspaper article and trial summary involving a PAS then gave their impressions of the patient, physician and PAS. Patient mental health did not affect decisions, but the preoccupied physicians testimony was seen as less believable (intent was seen as patient death, not an end of pain and suffering), and he was more likely to be seen as guilty than the non-preoccupied physician (reflected by both verdict and guilt level ratings). The terminal patient was seen as suffering more, wanting suicide more, and making a more rational decision to die than the non-terminal patient. Results are discussed in light of recent legal activity involving PAS.

Book Section: Essay and Review: Legal Blame: How Jurors Think and Talk about AccidentsLegal Blame: How Jurors Think and Talk About Accidents, by FeigensonNeal (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2000), 301 pp.,

With Legal Blame: How Jurors Think and Talk About Accidents, Neal Feigenson, a professor of law at Quinnipiac College and a research affiliate at the Yale University Department of Psychology, intended to investigate how jurors determine who is responsible when an accident occurs. In fact, the book does this and much more. While those interested in a study of how people think and talk about accidents will certainly want to read this book, anyone interested in juror/jury decisionmaking in general (lawyers, research psychologists, trial consultants and citizens) should read at least portions of it.