[Students' attitudes toward active euthanasia, assisted suicide and proposed amendments to the penal code].

BACKGROUND: Attitude surveys in the Norwegian population show a majority supporting active euthanasia for patients with terminal disease, while among physicians, only a minority do so.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Attitudes towards active euthanasia, assisted suicide and proposed alteration of section 235 (to no penalty for manslaughter on compassionate grounds) and repeal of section 236 (assisted suicide) were surveyed among students of medicine, law and psychology at the University of Oslo (n = 520, response rate 59%). The issue was a patient suffering from a painful, incurable and fatal or non-fatal disease, asking for help to die.
RESULTS: 61% of the law students, 59% of the psychology students and 24% of the medical students supported active euthanasia in cases of terminal disease. For assisted suicide, the corresponding percentages were 69%, 64% and 35%, respectively. For alteration of section 235, 72%, 57% and 35% agreed; for repeal of section 236, 52%, 46% and 28%. Among students with a Christian faith, 30% supported active euthanasia in terminal disease and 39% did so for assisted suicide. For students of another faith or without a definable faith, the corresponding percentages were 57% and 65%, respectively. No significant gender difference was observed. Compared to a similar student survey made three years earlier, the results showed a significant decrease in support of active euthanasia of ten percentage points among students of medicine and law, but no change for students of psychology.
INTERPRETATION: The study indicates stable and differentiated attitudes towards euthanasia with significantly greater (nearly ten percentage points) support of assisted suicide compared to active euthanasia for both terminal and non-terminal disease. This probably reflects a view of the patient's own right to participate in making decisions in a critical situation.