Abstract
In a growing number of countries, legislation permits physicians—under strict conditions—to grant a request for physician-assisted dying (PAD). Legally allowing for the possibility of granting such a request is in accordance with central humanistic values such as respect for autonomy and self-determination. The Netherlands is one of few countries where severe suffering from a psychiatric illness qualifies as a ground for a request for PAD. Central in this article is a case description of spiritual care provision in the Netherlands by a humanist healthcare chaplain to a patient requesting PAD because of psychiatric suffering. We discuss what we may learn from the case description about how spiritual caregivers may support patients who express a wish to die, and about their contribution to the care for patients with a psychiatric disorder who request PAD.
Highlights
To grant a request for physician-assisted dying (PAD)
We explore a case of spiritual care provision in the Netherlands by a humanist healthcare chaplain (LvD) to a patient requesting PAD because of psychiatric suffering
We described a case of chaplaincy care in the context of a request for PAD by a patient with a psychiatric disorder
Summary
The following case description is based on an in-depth interview of Lisa (LvD), a healthcare chaplain in a large mental health institution in the Netherlands. Anna was an educated woman, which was, even though she was in an unkempt state, evident from the way in which she spoke, the vocabulary that she used, and her subtle sense of humor She felt very much out of place in the institution and experienced every hospitalization as traumatizing. The healthcare professionals in the institution always tried their best to keep Anna’s hospitalizations as short as possible As soon as her situation had somewhat stabilized, she was allowed to move back home where she would attempt to pick up her life again, supported by outreaching care. Anna had some hope left that she would feel better once she would be allowed to go back to the apartment where she lived When, she was discharged and had returned home, her hopes came to naught.
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