Does voluntary assisted dying cause public stigma for the bereaved? A vignette-based experiment

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Thanatology

Background:

• Bereaved individuals may face social stigma due to the manner of death, particularly with voluntary assisted dying.
• Younger age of the deceased is perceived as less acceptable in contexts of assisted dying.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate public stigma and expected grief in conjugal bereavement via voluntary assisted dying versus long-term illness.
• To determine the impact of the deceased's age (young adult vs. older adult) on stigma and grief expectations.

Main Methods:

• A vignette-based experiment with a 2x2 randomized factorial design was used.
• 164 Australian adults were randomized to read one of four vignettes.
• Measures included emotional reactions, desired social distance, and expected grief symptomatology.

Main Results:

• Younger age at death (28 years) was significantly associated with increased fear and anger.
• No significant differences in stigma or grief were found based on the mode of death (assisted dying vs. illness).
• No interaction effect was observed between the mode of death and age group.

Conclusions:

• Concerns about voluntary assisted dying eliciting public stigma seem unfounded.
• Negative emotional reactions are higher when the deceased is younger, regardless of the cause of death.
• Young adults who lose a spouse may require additional social support.