ArticleBMC medical ethics2024
Ethical perspectives regarding Euthanasia, including in the context of adult psychiatry: a qualitative interview study among healthcare workers in Belgium.
Article in BMC medical ethics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Perceptions about medical aid in dying among healthcare workers in Pakistan.Palliative & supportive care · 2025Article
- Efficacy of tilmicosin and suxamethonium for dog euthanasia: A comparative study.Open veterinary journal · 2025Article
- Willingness of Dutch general practitioners to grant euthanasia and assisted suicide requests: a comparative study of physical and mental health conditions.BMC medical ethics · 2025Article
- Attitudes, Roles, and Competencies of Clinical Psychologists Regarding Euthanasia Due to Unbearable Mental Suffering.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025Article
- Euthanasia in End-of-Life Care: Ethical Compassion or Dilemma?Journal of caring sciences · 2025Article
- Mapping ethical issues encompassing end-of-life care for persons experiencing severe and persistent mental illness: a qualitative study.BMC medical ethics · 2025Article
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Abstract
introductionPrevious research has explored euthanasia's ethical dimensions, primarily focusing on general practice and, to a lesser extent, psychiatry, mainly from the viewpoints of physicians and nurses. However, a gap exists in understanding the comprehensive value-based perspectives of other professionals involved in both somatic and psychiatric euthanasia. This paper aims to analyze the interplay among legal, medical, and ethical factors to clarify how foundational values shape the ethical discourse surrounding euthanasia in both somatic and psychiatric contexts. It seeks to explore these dynamics among all healthcare professionals and volunteers in Belgium.
methodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 Dutch-speaking healthcare workers who had encountered patients requesting euthanasia for psychiatric conditions, in Belgium, from August 2019 to August 2020. Qualitative thematic analysis was applied to the interview transcripts.
findingsParticipants identified three pivotal values and virtues: religious values, professional values, and fundamental medical values encompassing autonomy, beneficence, and non-maleficence, linked to compassion, quality care, and justice. These values interwove across four tiers: the patient, the patient's inner circle, the medical realm, and society at large. Irrespective of their euthanasia stance, participants generally displayed a blend of ethical values across these tiers. Their euthanasia perspective was primarily shaped by value interpretation, significance allocation to key components, and tier weighting. Explicit mention of varying ethical values, potentially indicating distinct stances in favor of or against euthanasia, was infrequent.
conclusionThe study underscores ethical discourse's central role in navigating euthanasia's intricate landscape. Fostering inclusive dialogue, bridging diverse values, supports informed decision-making, nurturing justice, and empathy. Tailored end-of-life healthcare in psychiatry is essential, acknowledging all involved actors' needs. The study calls for interdisciplinary research to comprehensively grasp euthanasia's multifaceted dimensions, and guiding policy evolution. While contextualized in Belgium, the implications extend to the broader euthanasia discourse, suggesting avenues for further inquiry and cross-cultural exploration.
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