Conventional and assisted suicide in Switzerland: Insights into a divergent development based on cancer‐associated self‐initiated deaths
Abstract Background We tested the hypothesis of supporters of assisted dying that assisted suicide (AS) might be able to prevent cases of conventional suicide (CS). Methods By using data from the Federal Statistical Office, we analyzed the long‐term development of 30,756 self‐initiated deaths in Swi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Cancer Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.6323 |
| _version_ | 1827307632560439296 |
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| author | Uwe Güth Christoph Junker Bernice Simone Elger Constanze Elfgen Giacomo Montagna Andres R. Schneeberger |
| author_facet | Uwe Güth Christoph Junker Bernice Simone Elger Constanze Elfgen Giacomo Montagna Andres R. Schneeberger |
| author_sort | Uwe Güth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background We tested the hypothesis of supporters of assisted dying that assisted suicide (AS) might be able to prevent cases of conventional suicide (CS). Methods By using data from the Federal Statistical Office, we analyzed the long‐term development of 30,756 self‐initiated deaths in Switzerland over a 20‐year period (1999–2018; CS: n = 22,018, AS: n = 8738), focusing on people suffering from cancer who died from AS or CS. Results While cancer was the most often listed principal disease for AS (n = 3580, 41.0% of AS cases), cancer was listed in only a small minority of CS cases (n = 832, 3.8% of CS cases). There was a significant increase in the absolute number of cancer‐associated AS cases: comparing four 5‐year periods, there was approximately a doubling of cases every 5 years (1999–2003: n = 228 vs.2004–2008: n = 474, +108% compared with the previous period; 2009–2013: n = 920, +94%; 2014–2018: n = 1958, +113%). The ratio of cancer‐associated AS in relationship with all cancer‐associated deaths increased over time to 2.3% in the last observation period (2014–2018). In parallel, the numbers of cancer‐associated CS showed a downward trend only at the beginning of the observation period (1999–2003, n = 240 vs. 2004–2008, n = 199, −17%). Thereafter, the number of cases remained stable in the subsequent 5‐year period (2009–2013, n = 187, −6%), and increased again toward the most recent period (2014–2018, n = 206, +10%). Conclusion The assumption that, with the increasingly accessible option of AS for patients with cancer, CS suicide will become “superfluous” cannot be confirmed. There are strong reasons indicating that situations and circumstances of cancer‐associated CS are different from those for cancer‐associated AS. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T00:54:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-169c6c1b9dbe478697a37309bc750506 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7634 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:42:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancer Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-169c6c1b9dbe478697a37309bc7505062024-03-27T09:11:00ZengWileyCancer Medicine2045-76342023-08-011216172961730710.1002/cam4.6323Conventional and assisted suicide in Switzerland: Insights into a divergent development based on cancer‐associated self‐initiated deathsUwe Güth0Christoph Junker1Bernice Simone Elger2Constanze Elfgen3Giacomo Montagna4Andres R. Schneeberger5Department of Breast Surgery Brust‐Zentrum Zürich Zurich SwitzerlandFederal Statistical Office Neuchâtel SwitzerlandInstitute for Biomedical Ethics University of Basel Basel SwitzerlandDepartment of Breast Surgery Brust‐Zentrum Zürich Zurich SwitzerlandBreast Service, Department of Surgery Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York New York USADepartment of Psychiatry University of California San Diego La Jolla California USAAbstract Background We tested the hypothesis of supporters of assisted dying that assisted suicide (AS) might be able to prevent cases of conventional suicide (CS). Methods By using data from the Federal Statistical Office, we analyzed the long‐term development of 30,756 self‐initiated deaths in Switzerland over a 20‐year period (1999–2018; CS: n = 22,018, AS: n = 8738), focusing on people suffering from cancer who died from AS or CS. Results While cancer was the most often listed principal disease for AS (n = 3580, 41.0% of AS cases), cancer was listed in only a small minority of CS cases (n = 832, 3.8% of CS cases). There was a significant increase in the absolute number of cancer‐associated AS cases: comparing four 5‐year periods, there was approximately a doubling of cases every 5 years (1999–2003: n = 228 vs.2004–2008: n = 474, +108% compared with the previous period; 2009–2013: n = 920, +94%; 2014–2018: n = 1958, +113%). The ratio of cancer‐associated AS in relationship with all cancer‐associated deaths increased over time to 2.3% in the last observation period (2014–2018). In parallel, the numbers of cancer‐associated CS showed a downward trend only at the beginning of the observation period (1999–2003, n = 240 vs. 2004–2008, n = 199, −17%). Thereafter, the number of cases remained stable in the subsequent 5‐year period (2009–2013, n = 187, −6%), and increased again toward the most recent period (2014–2018, n = 206, +10%). Conclusion The assumption that, with the increasingly accessible option of AS for patients with cancer, CS suicide will become “superfluous” cannot be confirmed. There are strong reasons indicating that situations and circumstances of cancer‐associated CS are different from those for cancer‐associated AS.https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.6323assisted dyingassisted suicidecancerend‐of‐life decision‐makingsuicide |
| spellingShingle | Uwe Güth Christoph Junker Bernice Simone Elger Constanze Elfgen Giacomo Montagna Andres R. Schneeberger Conventional and assisted suicide in Switzerland: Insights into a divergent development based on cancer‐associated self‐initiated deaths Cancer Medicine assisted dying assisted suicide cancer end‐of‐life decision‐making suicide |
| title | Conventional and assisted suicide in Switzerland: Insights into a divergent development based on cancer‐associated self‐initiated deaths |
| title_full | Conventional and assisted suicide in Switzerland: Insights into a divergent development based on cancer‐associated self‐initiated deaths |
| title_fullStr | Conventional and assisted suicide in Switzerland: Insights into a divergent development based on cancer‐associated self‐initiated deaths |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conventional and assisted suicide in Switzerland: Insights into a divergent development based on cancer‐associated self‐initiated deaths |
| title_short | Conventional and assisted suicide in Switzerland: Insights into a divergent development based on cancer‐associated self‐initiated deaths |
| title_sort | conventional and assisted suicide in switzerland insights into a divergent development based on cancer associated self initiated deaths |
| topic | assisted dying assisted suicide cancer end‐of‐life decision‐making suicide |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.6323 |
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