Ogden Russel D, Young Michael G
Soc Work Health Care. 2003;37(2):43-70. doi: 10.1300/J010v37n02_03.
This study examines attitudes and experiences concerning voluntary euthanasia (VE) and assisted suicide (AS) among 862 professional social workers from Washington State, USA. Although AS has been portrayed as more acceptable than VE, social workers make only a minor distinction in their support for the legalization of such acts (VE 72.4%; AS 77.6%). Only 26.6% agreed with the US Supreme Court's ruling that assisted suicide is not a constitutional right. More than 75% believe that social workers should be involved in the decision-making process with clients who are considering VE/AS. About 20% of social workers report being consulted about VE/AS issues either by clients or in their personal lives. Social workers employed in medical settings are more than twice as likely to be consulted about VE/AS than those employed in non-medical settings. Religious commitment explains some opposition to VE/AS for Protestants and Catholics, but not for other faiths. A small number of social workers (19) admitted to assisting the death of a patient by VE and 5 admitted to AS.
本研究调查了美国华盛顿州862名专业社会工作者对自愿安乐死（VE）和协助自杀（AS）的态度及经历。尽管协助自杀被认为比自愿安乐死更易被接受，但社会工作者在支持此类行为合法化方面的差异不大（自愿安乐死72.4%；协助自杀77.6%）。只有26.6%的人同意美国最高法院关于协助自杀并非宪法赋予的权利这一裁决。超过75%的人认为社会工作者应参与到考虑自愿安乐死/协助自杀的客户的决策过程中。约20%的社会工作者报告称曾在客户咨询或个人生活中被问及自愿安乐死/协助自杀问题。在医疗环境中工作的社会工作者被问及自愿安乐死/协助自杀问题的可能性是非医疗环境中工作的社会工作者的两倍多。宗教信仰解释了新教徒和天主教徒对自愿安乐死/协助自杀的一些反对态度，但对其他宗教则不然。少数社会工作者（19人）承认曾通过自愿安乐死协助患者死亡，5人承认协助过自杀。
