NEW STUDY FINDS OVER 60 CASES OF ASSISTED SUICIDE IN PATIENTS WITH EATING DISORDERS, WITH LITTLE OVERSIGHT

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking study published today in Frontiers in Psychiatry reveals that over sixty individuals with eating disorders have undergone assisted death in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United States. Notably, some of the cases occurred in countries where assisted death is legally restricted to terminal conditions, exposing significant oversight gaps and raising urgent ethical questions about current policies.

"This finding is deeply concerning and will send shockwaves through our community," said Chelsea Roff, Executive Director of the nonprofit Eat Breathe Thrive and lead author of the study. "We have concerns they may only be the tip of the iceberg. We found significant gaps in reporting, suggesting the actual number of cases may be much higher."

KEY FINDINGS:

• Over 60 patients with eating disorders underwent assisted death between 2012 and 2024, including in countries which restrict the practice to terminal conditions.
• In the United States, patients with eating disorders were granted access to lethal medications based on the controversial pseudo diagnosis of "terminal anorexia."
• In other countries, physicians stated that eating disorder patients were eligible for assisted suicide because their condition was "hopeless" and "untreatable."
• One-third of the patients were under the age of thirty when they underwent assisted death.

The study comes at a critical time, as eating disorders surge and many patients struggle to access treatment. Residential and inpatient treatment can cost more than $2,000/day, and few private treatment centers accept public insurance. In some cases, these patients must wait over a year to get access to the treatment they need.

The researchers found that in many cases, physicians erroneously claimed the patients had terminal and incurable conditions in order to grant access to lethal medications. "These rationales lack an empirical basis and perpetuate stigma," said Catherine Cook-Cottone, study author and researcher at University at Buffalo. "The idea that patients with eating disorders are untreatable, treatment-resistant, or unable to recover has no place in medicine."

The study underscores the urgent need for more comprehensive reporting and stringent oversight in cases of assisted death involving psychiatric conditions. For more information, the full article can be accessed here.

A joint statement from over 100 leading experts and organizations against the practice of assisted suicide has been issued in response to the study and can be found here.

Press Contact:

Bianca Ngala
[email protected]

SOURCE Eat Breathe Thrive

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