“I can deal with it” – Active Coping Strategies in Physicians and Willingness to Administer Euthanasia in Patients with Dementia

An increasing number of individuals with dementia express a wish for euthanasia, the deliberate act of terminating life through the administration of drugs, to hasten their death. Yet, physicians remain hesitant to perform the procedure. Research suggests that the emotional challenges of administering euthanasia contribute to this reluctance. In this cross-sectional study, multinominal logistic regression analyses were employed to assess whether physicians better equipped to handle these challenges through active coping strategies are more willing to administer euthanasia to dementia patients, as well as a potential mediating role of internal Locus of Control (LoC). The study involved 203 physicians (108 females, 95 males) from six countries (US, the Netherlands, Israel, Japan, Germany, Switzerland) who practice end-of-life care for dementia patients. Participants took part in a 60-minute assessment that included an animation video vignette to assess their opinions on euthanasia in...Show moreAn increasing number of individuals with dementia express a wish for euthanasia, the deliberate act of terminating life through the administration of drugs, to hasten their death. Yet, physicians remain hesitant to perform the procedure. Research suggests that the emotional challenges of administering euthanasia contribute to this reluctance. In this cross-sectional study, multinominal logistic regression analyses were employed to assess whether physicians better equipped to handle these challenges through active coping strategies are more willing to administer euthanasia to dementia patients, as well as a potential mediating role of internal Locus of Control (LoC). The study involved 203 physicians (108 females, 95 males) from six countries (US, the Netherlands, Israel, Japan, Germany, Switzerland) who practice end-of-life care for dementia patients. Participants took part in a 60-minute assessment that included an animation video vignette to assess their opinions on euthanasia in dementia cases, as well as a survey. Contrary to expectations, no association was found between active coping strategies and physicians’ willingness to administer euthanasia in dementia cases (X² (2, N = 203) = 2.22, p = .33). There was also no relationship between internal LoC and physicians' willingness to administer euthanasia in dementia cases (X² (2, N = 203) = 0.07, p = .97), nor any mediation effect of internal LoC (R² = .005, p =.31). A positive correlation between active coping and internal LoC was observed (r = .12, p = .001). Additionally, post-hoc analyses revealed a significant influence of country on physicians’ willingness (X² (10, N = 203) = 33.56, p < .001). The findings of this study highlight the importance of exploring a broader range of factors influencing physicians’ willingness, such as experience with previous euthanasia requests, as well as the need for country-specific analyses. Future studies should adopt a multifactorial design to better understand the complexities of physicians' willingness to administer euthanasia in dementia cases.Show less

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“I can deal with it” – Active Coping Strategies in Physicians and Willingness to Administer Euthanasia in Patients with Dementia