The Relationship Between Students’ Attitude Toward Euthanasia and Optimism: A Descriptive Study

Background: Attitude and decision-making about continuing the therapeutic interventions for the end-of-life patients are the essential skills required by the health care system creating many scientific, ethical, religious, and legal challenges, and sometimes making it difficult to make decisions. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate euthanasia attitude and its relationship with optimism among the medical and nursing students of AJA University of Medical Science. Methods: In the present descriptive-analytical study, 150 clinical students were selected by census method. Data collection tool included demographic information, optimism questionnaire, and euthanasia attitude questionnaire. The data were analyzed by SPSS with the usage of parametric and nonparametric tests. A significance level of 0.05 was considered. Results: The mean scores of euthanasia attitude among nursing and medical students were 23.2 (2.31), and 23.72 (2.4), respectively. Mann-Whitney test indicated no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.22). The mean scores of optimism among nursing and medical students was 23.4 (3.81) and 24.6 (4.62), respectively, although no significant difference was found between the two groups (P = 0.07). Among all of the selected students, a direct and significant correlation was observed between optimism and euthanasia attitude (P = 0.007 and r = 0.219). Conclusions: The students had an unfavorable euthanasia attitude while optimism was favorable. Thus, qualitative studies are suggested for the formation of euthanasia attitude and its relationship with personality traits.