Abstract: (22 Views)
Introduction and purpose: Euthanasia represents one of the most challenging ethical dilemmas in modern medicine due to the complex interplay among cultural norms, religious beliefs, and legal frameworks. Understanding medical students’ attitudes toward this issue is essential for developing medical ethics-based educational curricula. This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of medical interns at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences toward the laws and regulations governing decision-making regarding euthanasia.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2024 and September 2025 among medical interns at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. A total of 100 participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Persian-validated Euthanasia Attitude Scale (EAS), which comprises four subscales: ethical considerations, practical considerations, value of life, and naturalistic beliefs. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22, applying an independent-samples t-test, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). A significance level of 0.05 was adopted for all analyses
Results: The mean age of the participants was 25.32 (1.5) years, and the mean internship duration was 9.62 (5.28) months. The mean overall attitude score was 48.08(5.09). The mean scores of the subscales were, respectively, ethical considerations (26.62±4.00), scientific considerations (7.29(2.02)), life valuation (9.61(2.32)), and naturalistic beliefs (4.57(1.53)). No statistically significant difference was observed in the total attitude score by age (p=0.695), gender (p=0.449), and marital status (p=0.368); however, the duration of the internship had a significant relationship with the attitude score (p=0.013), such that with increasing clinical experience, attitude scores decreased.
Conclusion: The findings indicated that the medical interns demonstrated moderate attitudes toward euthanasia. The significant association between clinical experience and lower attitude scores suggests that practical experiences may influence and alter students’ perspectives.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2024 and September 2025 among medical interns at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. A total of 100 participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Persian-validated Euthanasia Attitude Scale (EAS), which comprises four subscales: ethical considerations, practical considerations, value of life, and naturalistic beliefs. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22, applying an independent-samples t-test, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). A significance level of 0.05 was adopted for all analyses
Results: The mean age of the participants was 25.32 (1.5) years, and the mean internship duration was 9.62 (5.28) months. The mean overall attitude score was 48.08(5.09). The mean scores of the subscales were, respectively, ethical considerations (26.62±4.00), scientific considerations (7.29(2.02)), life valuation (9.61(2.32)), and naturalistic beliefs (4.57(1.53)). No statistically significant difference was observed in the total attitude score by age (p=0.695), gender (p=0.449), and marital status (p=0.368); however, the duration of the internship had a significant relationship with the attitude score (p=0.013), such that with increasing clinical experience, attitude scores decreased.
Conclusion: The findings indicated that the medical interns demonstrated moderate attitudes toward euthanasia. The significant association between clinical experience and lower attitude scores suggests that practical experiences may influence and alter students’ perspectives.
Type of Study: Research(Original) |
Subject:
Psychology
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