Canadian Undergraduates’ Perspectives on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): A Quantitative Study
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Background and Objectives: In 2016, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) became legal in Canada for those suffering a grievous and untreatable medical condition. Currently, it is not available to minors or to those with an untreatable mental illness, although it is likely the scope of MAiD will be widened to include persons with severe and untreatable mental illnesses. However, little is known about the factors predicting acceptance or rejection of MAiD for persons with either a grievous medical condition or an untreatable mental illness. Methods: A survey was administered to 438 undergraduate students to examine factors associated with their acceptance or rejection of MAiD. The survey included four different scenarios: a young or old person with an untreatable medical condition, and a young or old person with an untreatable mental illness. Demographic questions (age, sex, religion, etc), personality measures, and an attitude towards euthanasia scale were also administered, as well as questions assessing participants’ general understanding of MAiD and their life experiences with death and suicide. Results/Conclusion: Overall, most of the Canadian undergraduate participants accepted MAiD for both terminally ill and mentally ill patients; however, different variables, such as age, religion, and ethnicity, predicted the acceptance or rejection of MAiD for each scenario.
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Hawrelak et al found that most undergraduate students endorsed MAiD for both physical and mental health conditions, viewing it as a legitimate expression of compassion and autonomy.
“Hawrelak et al found that most undergraduate students endorsed MAiD for both physical and mental health conditions, viewing it as a legitimate expression of compassion and autonomy.”
From Medical Assistance in Dying for the Sole Underlying Condition of Mental Disorder (MAiD MD-SUMC): an analysis and qualitative evidence synthesis (2026) · cites this paper as [53]
The Conclusion and Results support that most surveyed Canadian undergraduates accepted MAiD for patients with terminal illness and with untreatable mental illness. The Methods describe choices about whether to allow MAiD, but the paper does not establish that students viewed it as an expression of compassion and autonomy. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.89)
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“52 These findings highlight that, for many families, MAiD is viewed not as a rejection of life but as an extension of patient-centred decision-making at the end of life.”
- Authors
- Hawrelak, E., Harper, L., Reddon, J. R., & Powell, R. A.
- Affiliations
- MacEwan University (CA)
- University of Alberta (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Harper, Lori
- Venue
- Journal of Palliative Care
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2021-12-30
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 352-358
- ISSN
- 0825-8597 (ISSN-L)
- 2369-5293
- PMC
- PMC9344492
- OpenAlex
- W4200185976
- Cited by
- 7
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 0.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Palliative Care (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative and Oncologic Care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Ethics and bioethics in healthcare
- Keywords
- medical assistance in dying, attitudes toward euthanasia, dying patients, age differences, ethnicity, undergraduate students
- MeSH terms
- Canada, Humans, Medical Assistance, Students, Suicide, Assisted, Terminally Ill
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