Citation

Hayashi M, Hasui C, Kitamura F, Murakami M, Takeuchi M, Katoh H, Kitamura T. Ethics Behav. 2000; 10(1): 51-63.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1207/S15327019EB1001_4

PMID

11657908

Abstract

Some people in Japan are still comfortable with the paternalistic role of doctors, but others wish that their own decisions would receive a greater amount of respect. A total of 747 students of universities and colleges and 114 parents of these students participated in a questionnaire survey. Most of the participants thought that autonomy should be respected in situations involving death with dignity and euthanasia, whereas it should not be respected in attempted suicide and involuntary admission of individuals with mental illness. A cluster analysis revealed that the participants could be divided into the following groups: aid in dying advocates (n=577), complete libertarians (n=109), protectors of the mentally ill (n=90), complete paternalists (n=29), and questionables (n=27). The assertion of independence score of the Scale for Independent and Interdependent Construal of the Self showed a significant difference among the 5 clusters. These findings suggest that the traditional paternalistic relationship between doctor and patient is undergoing a gradual transformation in Japan.

Language: en

Keywords

Attitude; Bioethical Issues; Bioethics; Bioethics and Professional Ethics; Brain Death; Commitment of Mentally Ill; Data Collection; Decision Making; Empirical Approach; Euthanasia; Euthanasia, Active; Euthanasia, Passive; Freedom; Humans; Japan; Parents; Paternalism; Patient Advocacy; Patient Participation; Personal Autonomy; Students; Suicide; Tissue and Organ Procurement; Tissue Donors; Universities