Many of those seeking assisted dying in Belgium are suffering from depression, researchers say today.
It was the most common mental illness reported among a group of 100 patients who sought to undergo euthanasia for psychiatric reasons in a five year period.
Some 35 of these patients went on to have their lives ended using the legal process allowed in Belgium.
Researchers say their findings highlight the difficulty of defining the "unbearable suffering" deemed a reason for Belgian health services to support euthanasia.
Some 58 had depression and 50 had personality disorders. 12 patients were later diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
The study, conducted in the country’s Dutch-speaking region and reported in BMJ Open, also found that 70 had been medically unfit for work while 59 lives alone.
By the end of 2012 a total of 43 had died as six committed suicide – one because of her family’s objections to euthanasia. One died from anorexia and one from palliative sedation.
The researchers say that 30 patients died surrounded by family and friends "in a serene and positive atmosphere".
In just two years, 2010 and 2011, some 2,086 people died from euthanasia – 1% of the country’s deaths. 90% of these were terminally ill, the researchers say.
Researcher Dr Lieve Thienpont, of University Hospital, Brussels, warns: "As yet, there is no consensus on what constitutes unbearable suffering nor are there any guidelines in Belgium on how best to deal with requests for help to die from those who are mentally ill.
"Taking into account the ongoing fierce ethical debates, it is essential to develop such guidelines, and translate them into clear and detailed protocols that can be applied in practice."
Euthanasia requests, procedures and outcomes for 100 Belgian patients suffering from psychiatric disorders: a retrospective, descriptive study BMJ Open 28 July 2015; doi 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007454 [abstract]
Leave a Reply