Thirty-six elderly people in Israel were interviewed concerning their meanings and attitudes toward end-of-life preferences. The phenomenological analysis method resulted in the identification of six meaning themes and a continuum of favorable to unfavorable attitude positions for each meaning theme. The combination of meaning themes and attitude positions produced 4 patterns of perspectives toward euthanasia, as well as a more holistic and integrative cultural dimension that was labeled Israel ego integrity. The 6 meaning themes were (a) moral perspectives, (b) religious beliefs, (c) mental and physical suffering, (d) family and community implications, (e) gaining control by willingness to trust others, and (f) previous experiences with death. The 4 patterns of perspectives toward euthanasia emphasized consequences for others, religious perspectives, concerns for personal suffering, and concerns for moral choice. The extensive diversity in the meaning-attitude perspectives from a small sample of elderly people suggested challenges for Israeli policy in regard to legalizing the living will to respect patients' rights to make end-of-life decisions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.