Assisted suicide total rose last year; 20% more patients citing psychological reasons

More euthanasia requests were granted in the Netherlands last year. The number of reported cases of euthanasia rose by four percent to 9,068. That is 5.4 percent of all the people who died in the Netherlands that year, yearly numbers from the Regional Euthanasia Review Committees (RTE) showed.

The numbers showed that euthanasia to end severe psychological suffering was up by 20 percent last year. In total, there were 138 assisted suicide cases for this reason, compared to 115 the year earlier

“It remains sad that for some people with severe psychological suffering, euthanasia seems to be the only way out,” said Niels Mulder, the chair of the Dutch pathology association NVVP. Helping people with suicidal thoughts see a new perspective is “an important part of our job,” he emphasized. Therefore, psychologists are reluctant to grant those patients access to assisted suicide.

He said that the mental caregivers find it complicated to determine whether treatment is possible, or the individual's suffering cannot be resolved through therapy or other means. The association added that it is essential that patients feel heard when they discuss their suicidal tendencies and also when they lead to a euthanasia request.

In around half of the cases, a specialized doctor from the Euthanasia Expertise Center (EE) will perform the euthanasia procedure. The last few years have seen a rise in assisted suicides done without the help of this center.

Psychiatrists say that it is better for the patients to discuss their wish for assisted suicide with their own practitioner. A second opinion from a different doctor is also required in these cases.

EE saw a significant increase in requests last year from young people with psychiatric issues. The center received 322 requests from people aged 18 to 30, which is over 50 percent more than last year. The RTE numbers showed that 40 requests for assisted suicide were granted to people 30 years old or younger.

Still, most of the requests from younger adults were rescinded or rejected. Some of those cases involved applicants who were persuaded to begin a course of treatment, and in other cases the patient refused access to their medical data.

An essential criterion for granting an assisted suicide request is if the patient in question is without hope of recovery, and in unbearable pain. In most cases, this relates to people with age-related conditions or untreatable cancer. Euthanasia for psychological reasons is the cause of 1.5 percent of assisted suicides.

The RTE said that the diligent review process was not properly handled in five euthanasia cases.