In Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die: The Interface of Social Science,
Public Policy, and Medical Ethics, Barry Rosenfeld examines how social science
can inform policy and practice issues in the ongoing debates on end-of-life
issues. While some important elements of the arguments for advocacy or opposition
to the legalization of assisted suicide, such as moral and ethical concerns,
are not necessarily the domain of science, others are amenable to scientific
study,including such questions as whether untreated pain or depression fuel
requests for assisted suicide.
This thoughtful, comprehensive, and balanced volume reviews and synthesizes
what research has uncovered thus far, and provides rich context on the major
legal, ethical, clinical, social policy, and psychological research issues involved
in end-of-life decision-making. Topics include assessment of patient decision-making
abilities, do-not-resuscitate orders, and advance direct
