Final answer:
Elderly individuals are more likely to prefer to have treatment stopped if they have a terminal illness, possibly due to their end-of-life planning, acceptance of mortality, and desire for quality of life. Spiritual beliefs and personal grief stages can influence this preference. The correct option is 1).
Step-by-step explanation:
The question at hand asks which group is more likely to prefer to have treatment stopped if they have a terminal illness. Studies and observations suggest that elderly individuals may be more inclined to make such a decision.
Elderly people often have had the time to consider their end-of-life care preferences and may have put legal instruments like living wills in place.
The acceptance of mortality and the desire for quality of life over prolonging life at all costs sometimes leads elderly individuals to opt for comfort care or hospice care instead of aggressive medical interventions.
Conversely, younger adults, children, and middle-aged individuals may be more inclined to pursue all available treatments, possibly due to the potential for longer life, responsibilities to family, or the belief that an illness may be overcome.
Research on this topic points to various factors that can influence such a decision, including spiritual beliefs providing comfort and the prospect of an afterlife, the support of a community, or the personal stages of grief as outlined by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross.
These elements can affect how one deals with a terminal diagnosis and the choices one makes regarding the cessation of treatment. Option 1) is the correct one.