Keywords
physician assisted suicide
euthanasia
death
life
autonomy
How to Cite
Abstract
End-of-life procedures such as Physician Assisted Suicide and euthanasia are part of the discussions and debates that need to take place at the social and legal levels in several countries. Even when these procedures are legislated in Colombia, the perspective of ordinary citizens is rarely sought to know the reasons why they are in favor or against such procedures. The objective of this study was to explore the conceptualizations of a sample of Colombians about life, death, autonomy, freedom, and suffering; all of these concepts within the framework of the discussion of end-of-life procedures. A quantitative study was carried out, with open questions with short answers to 58 men and 70 women. The answers were processed using textual data analysis with the KH-Coder software, with which five networks of co-occurrences were built. The main results show that the conceptualizations are grouped into categories that emphasize the end of life as a personal decision, a decision framed in spiritual relationships and finally as a decision tied to well-being (physical and psychological).
Cohen, J., van Landeghem, P., Carpentier, N., & Deliens, L. (2014). Public acceptance of euthanasia in Europe: A survey study in 47 countries. International Journal of Public Health, 59(1):143–156.
Bugay, A., Sorum, P. C., & Mullet, E. (2014). The acceptability of physician-assisted suicide as a function of circumstances: A preliminary study of Turkish students' views. https://www.uv.es/psicologica/articulos3.14/21BUGAY.pdf
Ellis, L., Wahab, E. A., & Ratnasingan, M. (2013). Religiosity and fear of death: a three‐nation comparison. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 16(2), 179–199. doi:10.1080/13674676.2011.652606
Teisseyre, N., Duarte dos Reis, I., Sorum, P. C., & Mullet, E. (2009). The acceptability among French lay persons of ending the lives of damaged newborns. Journal of Medical Ethics, 35(7):701-708.
Fortuin, N. P. M., Schilderman, J. B. A. M., & Venbrux, E. (2020). Determining the end of life: a qualitative study of religion and euthanasia among older Dutch adults. Mortality, 25(2), 167–184. https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2019.1584165
Frileux, C., Lelièvre, C., Muñoz Sastre, M. T., Mullet, E. & Sorum, P. C. (2003). When is physician assisted suicide or euthanasia?. J Med Ethics (29)330–336
Kamble, S., Sorum, P. C., & Mullet, E. (2012). Young Indians’ views of the acceptability of physician-assisted suicide. International Perspectives in Psychology, 1(2):165-76.
Guedj, M., Gibert, M., Maudet, A, Muñoz Sastre, M. T., Mullet, E., & Sorum, P. C. (2005). Acceptability of ending a patient’s life. Journal of Medical Ethics, 31, 311-317.
Isenberg-grzeda, E., Bean, S., Cohen, C., & Selby, D. (2020). Suicide Attempt After Determination of Ineligibility for Assisted Death : A Case Series. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 60(1), 158–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.02.016
López Benavides, L. L. (2018). The right to die with dignity in Colombia. Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal, 6(6):426-429.
Mullet, E., Kpanake, L., Kamble, S., Ahmed, R. A., Bugay, A., Muñoz Sastre, M. T., & Sorum, P. C. (2016). Mapping people's views regarding physician assisted suicide: a five-country study. Intern Psychol Bul, 20, 16-25.
Nienke Pauline Margriet Fortuin, Johannes Bernardus Antonius Maria Schilderman & Eric Venbrux (2020) Determining the end of life: a qualitative study of religion and euthanasia among older Dutch adults, Mortality, 25:2, 167-184, DOI: 10.1080/13576275.2019.1584165.
Pineda-Marín, C., Franco Sierra, L., Sorum, P., C. & Mullet, E. (2021). Colombian people’s positions regarding physician-assisted-suicide. Clinical Ethics, 17(3), 286-289. https://doi.org/10.1177/14777509211040166
Serrano del Rosal, R., & Heredia Cerro, A. (2018). Actitudes de los españoles ante la eutanasia y el suicidio médico asistido / Spanish Attitudes Towards Euthanasia and Physician-assisted Suicide. Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas. https://doi.org/10.5477/cis/reis.161.103
Teisseyre, N., Mullet, E., & Sorum, P. C. (2005). Under what conditions is euthanasia acceptable to lay people and health professionals? Social Science & Medicine, 60(3):357-68.
Teodorescu, D. I., Muñoz Sastre, M. T., & Sorum, P. C. (2019). Romanian Lay People’s and Health Professionals’ Views about the Acceptability of Physician-Assisted Suicide. Universitas Psychologica, 18(5), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.upsy18-5.rlph
Tomás-Valiente Lanuza, C. (2019). La evolución del derecho al suicidio asistido y la eutanasia en la jurisprudencia constitucional colombiana: otra muestra de una discutible utilización de la dignidad. Revista Española de Derecho Constitucional, 116, 301-328. https://doi.org/10.18042/cepc/redc.116.10
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Claudia Pineda-Marín, Juliana de las Estrellas Ávila Guzmán, Eidy Córdoba González