TY - JOUR T1 - The physician-assisted suicide policy dilemma: a pilot study of the views and experiences of Connecticut physicians JF - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online JO - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law SP - 527 LP - 539 VL - 27 IS - 4 AU - HI Schwartz AU - L Curry AU - K Blank AU - C Gruman Y1 - 1999/12/01 UR - http://jaapl.org/content/27/4/527.abstract N2 - Development of fully informed public policy regarding physician-assisted suicide (PAS) requires a thorough understanding of the experiences, attitudes, and beliefs of physicians with respect to this issue. This study gathered data on physician characteristics, attitudes toward PAS, factors influencing attitudes toward PAS, and sensitivity to the role of depression in a sample of 397 psychiatrists, internists, and family practitioners in Connecticut. Central considerations included: the influence of religious values, professional discipline and practice patterns, and ability to diagnose depression in a single evaluation. Psychiatrists were significantly more likely to be supportive of PAS than were internists or family practitioners. Most respondents expressed concern regarding the influence of depression on PAS requests. A subset of physicians endorse PAS yet do not share such concern about risks, suggesting substantial challenges for policy-makers. ER -