Ethical Perceptions of Euthanasia Among Medical and Non-Medical Undergraduate Students in Pakistan: A Qualitative Exploratory Study
Abstract
A qualitative exploration of awareness, ethical reasoning and sociocultural interpretations of euthanasia among undergraduate students in Pakistan.
Euthanasia remains a complex ethical and social issue in healthcare, particularly in societies where religious beliefs, cultural traditions and collective moral values strongly influence attitudes toward life, death and medical decision-making. Empirical perspectives from religiously conservative settings remain comparatively limited.
To explore awareness, ethical perceptions and sociocultural interpretations of euthanasia among medical and non-medical undergraduate students in Pakistan.
An exploratory qualitative design was used. Thirty undergraduate students aged 18–24 years were recruited from medical disciplines, including Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences, and non-medical disciplines including Social Sciences, Business, Engineering and Arts. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded with consent, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.
Participants generally demonstrated limited prior awareness of euthanasia. Religious beliefs strongly influenced ethical perceptions, with euthanasia commonly regarded as morally impermissible. Cultural norms and family values further reinforced opposition. Medical students showed greater conceptual clarity and were more likely to acknowledge clinical suffering and ethical complexity, whereas non-medical students more frequently relied on emotional and moral interpretations. Strong ethical reservations nevertheless remained across both groups.
Students’ perceptions of euthanasia were shaped substantially by religion, culture and collective social values rather than academic background alone. The findings support greater attention to structured bioethics education and culturally sensitive discussion of end-of-life issues.
Undergraduate students included in the qualitative interviews.
Age range of participating undergraduate students.
Approximate duration of individual semi-structured interviews.
Braun and Clarke six-phase thematic analysis approach.
Participants varied in their prior knowledge and understanding of euthanasia, with many reporting limited previous exposure to the concept.
Moral reasoning was strongly influenced by religious beliefs concerning the sanctity of life and the authority to determine life and death.
Family expectations, collective social values, cultural norms and the taboo surrounding discussions of death shaped participants’ perceptions.
Medical students tended to demonstrate greater conceptual and clinical nuance, while non-medical students more frequently framed euthanasia through emotional, cultural and moral reasoning.
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Qualitative Exploratory Study
The study used an exploratory qualitative approach to investigate participants’ personal understanding, ethical reasoning and sociocultural interpretations of euthanasia.
Undergraduate Students
Thirty undergraduate students aged 18–24 years participated. They represented medical disciplines including Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences, together with non-medical disciplines including Social Sciences, Business, Engineering and Arts.
Purposive Sampling
Participants were recruited initially through convenience access across university departments and purposively selected to provide variation in academic background, gender and sociocultural perspectives.
Semi-Structured Interviews
Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted between October and November 2025 in a private university setting. Interviews lasted approximately 10–15 minutes, were audio-recorded with consent and continued until thematic saturation was achieved.
Braun & Clarke Thematic Analysis
Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and anonymised before analysis. Thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach, including familiarisation, coding, theme development, theme review and development of the final analytical narrative.
Four Interconnected Themes
Analysis identified four broad themes: awareness and basic understanding of euthanasia; ethical and religious interpretations; cultural and social influences; and differences between medical and non-medical perspectives.
Departmental Ethics Review
Ethical approval was obtained from the
departmental Ethics Review Board. All participants
provided written informed consent, and the study
reports safeguards for confidentiality, voluntary
participation and withdrawal.
No specific ethics approval reference number is
stated in the published article.
Contributor Statement
Equal contributions.
Conflict of Interest & Funding
Conflict of Interest:
The authors declare no conflict of interest
related to the content, data sources or
affiliations presented in the paper.
Funding:
No funding received by the authors.
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Licence & Article Record
This article is published by
The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ)
under the Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0).
Persistent DOI:
10.64573/torgj2512001
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