Opinions on euthanasia

Because the questions about euthanasia may be of a personal nature, the relevant set of questions in the survey Perceptions 2018 was preceded by the following comment: “The following questions are about euthanasia. We can imagine that questions about this issue can be rather personal. If for that reason you prefer not to answer a question, you can skip it by stating ‘would rather not say’.” Subsequently, the below questions have been asked.

Stance on euthanasia

— Are you against euthanasia? The answer options are: ‘yes, in all circumstances’, ‘no, not in all circumstances’, ‘do not know’ and ‘would rather not say’.

If respondents state that they are not against euthanasia in all circumstances, the following questions have been asked:
— Do you feel that euthanasia should be allowed for people with advanced dementia if they requested this previously in full consciousness?
— Do you feel that euthanasia should be allowed for people with serious mental disorders?
— Do you feel that euthanasia should be allowed for terminally ill children?
— Do you feel that euthanasia should be allowed for physically healthy people who are tired of life?
For each of these questions, the answer options are ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘it depends’ and ‘would rather not say’.

In the analyses, the options ‘yes’ and ‘it depends’ have been combined as ‘should be allowed under certain circumstances’. ‘No’ means ‘should not be allowed’ here.
People who have indicated to be against euthanasia in all circumstances are assumed to also be against the euthanasia option in these specific situations.

Stance on doctor's role

— If a patient meets the euthanasia requirements, do you feel that a doctor should be allowed to refuse a request for euthanasia? The answer options are: ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘do not know’ and ‘would rather not say’.

If respondents feel that a doctor should be allowed to refuse a request, the following question has been asked:
— Do you feel that a doctor should in this case refer the patient to another doctor who is willing to accept the request for euthanasia? The answer options are: ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘do not know’ and ‘would rather not say’.