Individual, Professional Characteristics and Religiosity Predict Attitudes of Health Professionals Toward Euthanasia in Greece

Euthanasia has been a research subject among scientists for several decades. The aim of the present study was to examine the attitudes of health professionals toward the bioethical issue of euthanasia. The sample consisted of 465 health and social care professionals working in Health Services in Greece. Participants completed an online sociodemographic questionnaire as well as a set of short-form open-ended questions about euthanasia. Although the majority of health professionals (61.9%) agreed with the legalization of euthanasia in Greece, a lower percentage of participants reported that they have desired or asked for euthanasia (28.8%) or they have experienced a euthanasia case (9.0%). Similarly, fewer participants stated they had wished for the possibility of euthanasia for one of their patients (47.5%), while the majority (71.4%) reported that they had never attended a specific course or received training about euthanasia at any educational level. Incurable, irreversible diseases and cancer end-stage patients were the two main categories for which health professionals would suggest the performing of euthanasia. The most consistent sociodemographic variables associated with the majority of the study questionnaire items were age, gender and religiosity, while the most consistent working characteristics were hospitalization of end-stage patients and profession. The findings of this study point out the shortcomings of the educational system as well as the impact of religious beliefs on health professionals' attitudes toward euthanasia.