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Table 2 Characteristics of the study sample of adults with Psychiatric Conditions’ (APC’s) having experienced the euthanasia assessment procedure

From: The impact of the euthanasia assessment procedure: a qualitative interview study among adults with psychiatric conditions

Characteristics

N = 16

Biological Sex

 Male

3

 Female

13

Age Category

 < 30

2

 30—40 year

2

 41—50 year

5

 51—60 year

7

Stage of the euthanasia procedurea

 

 No formal advice on euthanasia obtained (yet)

9

 One formal advice on euthanasia obtained

4

 Euthanasia request formally granted

3

Former/Provisional/Final outcomes of euthanasia proceduresa, b

 Neglectedc

4

 Rejected

4

 In assessment procedure

9

 No formal advices on the euthanasia request obtained

6

 One formal advice on the euthanasia request obtained

3

 Granted (at least two positive formal advices on the euthanasia request obtained)

3

 Put on hold for a definite or indefinite period of timed

4

APC’s medical conditiona, c, f, g

 One psychiatric disorder

4

 Comorbid psychiatric disorders

6

 Comorbid somatic disorders

3

 Multiple psychiatric and somatic disorders

3

  1. aInformation retrieved from the APC during the interview, not from their medical file nor from their recruiting physician/caregiver
  2. bSome APC had applied for euthanasia more than once. Seven APC reported ≥ 2 outcomes, e.g. rejected by first though accepted by the second advising physician, granted by the physicians involved but put on hold by the patient herself
  3. COne APC had requested euthanasia before the law on Euthanasia came into effect. For reasons of clarity, all data, except for (the impact of) this one neglected euthanasia request were included in this study
  4. dAll APC cited to have “put their euthanasia request on hold for an indefinite period of time” instead of having it “withdrawn”, as mentioned in our topic list, and as literally phrased by both the interviewers
  5. eNature of psychiatric disorders according to the DSM-5 categories: Neurodevelopmental disorders (7), Depressive disorders (2), Bipolar and related disorders (3), Somatic symptom and related disorders (1), Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorder (2), Trauma- and stressor-related disorders (3), Anxiety disorders (1), Eating Disorder (2) Adjustment disorder (3), Obsessive–compulsive and related disorders (1), Dissociative disorders (1) and Sexual dysfunctions (1)
  6. fNature of somatic disorders: Respiratory Dysfunctions, Endocrine Diseases, Chronic/total pain, Development motor disorders, Central nervous system disorder, Visual impairment, Autosomal recessive genetic disorder and Permanent injuries after failed suicide attempts
  7. gAll APC (had) dealt with suicidality. Thirteen had committed serious suicide attempts
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BMC Psychiatry

ISSN: 1471-244X

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