Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Old_hands
Elderly (Photo: marina guimarães/Wikimedia Commons) - Credit: Elderly (Photo: marina guimarães/Wikimedia Commons)
Politics
Health
assisted suicide
completed life
Dutch Association for Psychiatry
Damiaan Denys
euthanasia
euthanasia Act
full life
NVvP
psychiatrists
Friday, 21 October 2016 - 14:14
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Psychiatrists worried about Dutch euthanasia law changes

Psychiatrists in the Netherlands are concerned that the Dutch government's plan to allow assisted suicide at the end of a "full life" will put them in a difficult position, Damien Denys, president of the Dutch psychiatrists association NVvP said to newspaper Trouw.

The law is intended for elderly people who believe their lives are complete, but have no medical condition that would make them eligible for euthanasia. According to Denys, this means that someone will have to determine that the person in question is not suffering from depression and that is why he or she wants to die. In the Netherlands there are 300 geriatric psychiatrists ideally skilled to make such a diagnosis, but they are wary to do so, Denys said tot he newspaper.

According to him, the problem is that the assessment of "no depression" could become a license for assisted suicide. It will force psychiatrists to make a judgement on whether someone's life is completed. "The psychiatrist knows very well that the judgement 'no depression' means in principle that the patient may die, even though the means is administered by someone else. Ultimately that assessment is indirectly still a value judgement about the extent to which one's life is complete. Psychiatrists aren't meant for that"

While the NVvP does not have an official position yet, chairman Denys is very critical of the proposed amendment to the Euthanasia Act. He feels that the image society has of "normal" or "abnormal" is strongly influenced by a term such as a "completed life". He feels the government's plan is a "inappropriate outgrowth of our individualistic, pragmatic, productivity-orientated society."

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Bladel man sentenced to juvenile detention for New Year's Eve fatal stabbing
  • Hundreds of AI-written books available on Dutch webshop Bol.com: Report
  • Utrecht University chose not to be included on the Times Higher Education rankings
  • Rotterdam shootings suspect may have targeted Erasmus MC exam board member
  • Overweight people more likely to die of Covid-19, Dutch study confirms
  • Rotterdam shootings suspect expressed right-wing extremist views online

Top stories

  • Erasmus MC lecturer killed in Rotterdam shootings described as amiable, involved GP
  • Erasmus hospital was warned about student Fouad L., suspected of killing 3 in Rotterdam
  • Annual inflation rate drops to 0.2%, lowest in 7 years; Groceries 10% more expensive
  • Third victim, a 14-year-old girl, dies from injuries in Rotterdam shootings
  • Two killed, teen critically injured in Rotterdam shootings; Suspect a med student
  • Suspect arrested in Erasmus hospital shooting and fires; At least one dead

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content