ABSTRACT Background The Netherlands is one of the few countries in the world that allows physician assisted suicide (PAD) due to psychiatric suffering. Methods The Dutch regional euthanasia review committees published 43 case summaries online between 2015 and 2017, of which 35 were analyzed (22% of all psychiatric PAD cases) on patient characteristics and physician involvement. Results 77% of patients were women. 51% of patients were between 50 and 70. Major depression disorder and personality disorders were present in almost half of the patients. All patients were considered mentally competent. Conclusions The incidence of psychiatric PAD cases is rising, but we found no shift in patient characteristics. The division between psychiatric and somatic suffering may prove more complicated than expected. Patients dying from suicide differ on several characteristics from patients dying through assisted suicide. The fact that all patients are considered competent suggest that they are unjustly seen as vulnerable or that the competence assessment lacks due diligence. 38 | PART I - CHAPTER 3 3
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