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Cognitive attributions, depressive symptoms and hopelessness as predictors of perceived desirability of physician-assisted suicide in Alzheimer's caregivers

Donna Cohen, PhD

Department of Aging and Mental Health, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

This study compared attitudes towards physicianassisted suicide in two groups of older persons, 57-caregivers of relatives with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 46-non-caregivers. A series of two-way ANOVAs by caregiver status and level of depressive symptoms compared hopelessness scores, attribution styles, and beliefs about physician-assisted suicide. Two attributional style scales were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Subjects who felt less in control of the stresses in their lives reported more depressive symptoms (F = 10.16, p = .002). Subjects who felt that the factors causing stress were unchangeable also reported significantly more depressive symptoms (F = 5.41, p = .022). Over twothirds of both groups believed assisted suicide was a rational decision in some circumstances, but 40 percent of caregivers and only 24 percent of non-caregivers believed physicians should assist patients in committing suicide.

American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias®, Vol. 14, No. 3, 165-171 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/153331759901400306


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