View clinical trials related to Suicide, Assisted.
Filter by:In 2007, the frequency of so-called 'self-directed dying' in the Netherlands was investigated, that is, the voluntary cessation of eating and drinking or the taking of lethal self-collected medication. This research has not been repeated yet. Since 2007 there have been major developments regarding assisted and non-assisted dying, including the issue of a guideline by the KNMG and the endorsement by various political parties of a proposal for a new law on assistance in dying. There has also been much societal debate on euthanasia and assisted suicide as regulated by the Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act. These developments may have had an influence on the frequency of self-directed dying. The primary objective of this cross-sectional questionnaire study with add-on qualitative interviews is to estimate how many people die each year in the Netherlands by either voluntarily stopping eating or drinking (VSED) or intentional intake of lethal medication attended by a confidant (ILMC). Secondary objectives include studying whether this number has changed since 2007; exploring possible explanations for changes in frequencies; and providing insight in the quality of dying of people who choose self-directed dying. To this end an online questionnaire will be sent out to a randomly drawn sample (n ≈ 37 500) from a large representative panel (NIPObase) of the Dutch adult population. A two-stage screening procedure will be used to check whether the experiences of the respondents represent a death VSED or by ILMC. The data will be analysed using quantitative software SPSS. From the respondents who indicate that they are willing to be interviewed, a sample will be taken from each group, 20 from VSED and 20 from ILMC. Interviews will be conducted by an experienced interviewer. The interviews are focused on better understanding people's choice for a self-directed death and on the perceived quality of the dying process for both methods. The interviews will be audio recorded and thematically analysed using qualitative software (N-Vivo).
Physician-assisted dying (PAD) is currently a highly controversial topic in medical ethics and public debates worldwide. It poses a moral conflict between the ethical principle of respect for patient autonomy and the ethical principle of beneficence in the sense of preserving life. Switzerland gives higher weight to the former principle: Article 115 of the Swiss Penal Code (StGB) permits PAD, provided it is not performed for "selfish reasons", and thus, occupies a special role in international comparison. However, the Swiss federal law does not regulate who exactly is entitled to access PAD, and there is no universal agreement in the concerned professional societies. Additional uncertainty arises when not the wish for PAD of a somatically ill person but that of a mentally ill person is to be assessed. It is therefore important for Switzerland - but also internationally - to regulate PAD for the mentally ill. On the one hand, mentally ill persons must not be discriminated in their desire for PAD compared to somatically ill persons while at the same time, their vulnerability must be taken into account. On the other hand, treating physicians must be protected in their ethical integrity and need security when they have to decide on PAD-requests. With the present study, we aim at contributing to the discussion of PAD in mentally ill patients and, with the help of an online/telephone survey, provide insights of the current situation in Switzerland within the general population and in the medical profession. This study addresses the following research questions: What is the attitude of the general population towards the current Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) ethical guidelines? What is the attitude of medical professionals? To what extent does the public discussion reflect the current situation in clinical practice? Does the stigmatization of the mentally ill have an influence on the assessment of their wish to die, and if so, where do prejudices need to be reduced? The study thus aims to expand the scientific literature on this highly relevant, currently controversial topic.