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An overwhelming majority of Canadians believes psychological suffering on its own should never be grounds for granting a doctor-assisted death.

While Canadians seem particularly appalled by the idea of allowing assisted suicide for “mature minors” with psychological suffering, a majority supports lethal prescriptions for terminally ill children and youth, a newly released poll suggests.

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The Angus Reid Institute survey of 1,517 Canadian adults, released in advance to the National Post, “goes beyond asking, should we, to, how should we, and where should the limits lie,” said Shachi Kurl, executive director of the Angus Reid Institute.

“We’re starting to see where the pushback exists.”

The results suggest Canadians are not in line with key recommendations proffered in a parliamentary report calling for broad access to assisted death.

The Liberal-dominated panel’s report, released in February, called for extending assisted death to those experiencing psychological, and not just physical, suffering that is “enduring and intolerable.” But 78 per cent of those surveyed in the weeks after its release said “psychological suffering” on its own should not meet criteria for a doctor-hastened death. The opposition was even sharper among those 55 and older.