ArticleBMC medical ethics2025
Disparity in attitudes regarding assisted dying among physicians and the general public in Japan.
Article in BMC medical ethics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Finnish physicians' attitudes towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide: a nationwide cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Predictors of Support for Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide (EPAS) Among Older Adults in Israel.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025Article
- "It is difficult to be absolutely sure one way or the other." - a mixed method study on Finnish physicians' views on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.BMC medical ethics · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundRecently, an increasing number of countries have been allowing voluntary active euthanasia (VAE) and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as part of palliative care. Japan stands out as the most aged country in the developed world, and while the need for palliative care for older adults with dementia has been noted, there has been reluctance to openly address VAE and PAS.
methodsWe conducted an online questionnaire survey using a vignette case to investigate the attitudes of Japanese physicians and the general public towards VAE and PAS, and the factors influencing these attitudes.
resultsThe findings revealed that Japanese physicians did not display support for euthanasia (2%) and assisted suicide (1%); however, the general public supported euthanasia (33%) and assisted suicide (34%). Notably, among the general public, males exhibited significantly higher support for PAS than females.
conclusionJapanese physicians and the general public expressed a more negative stance towards VAE and PAS compared with their counterparts in Western countries. This disparity may be attributed to the influence of the Buddhist view of life and death and family-centeredness in the Japanese culture, which affects people's attitudes towards assisted dying. The gap between physicians and the general public could potentially lead to challenges in medical practice, thereby, necessitating the need for open discussions in the future.
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