Assisted suicide undermines suicide prevention, study shows

The introduction of euthanasia or assisted suicide undermines suicide prevention, according to a new paper.

Professor Albert Jones, of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, provides an overview of evidence on the introduction of the practices in Europe and North America, and incidences of non-assisted suicides.

Highlighting a number of studies published in peer-reviewed journals in recent years, he notes that following the introduction of assisted suicide and euthanasia laws:

• Rates of euthanasia or assisted suicide (EAS) increase significantly
• Rates of self-initiated deaths (EAS plus non-assisted suicide) increase significantly
• The increase in self-initiated death is disproportionately high in women
• Rates of non-assisted suicide also increase, in some cases significantly

Professor Jones comments: “I am really concerned that the legalisation of euthanasia or assisted suicide can have a negative impact on a people who are struggling to find their lives valuable and meaningful.

"There have been four peer review studies on EAS and suicide rates in 2022 and they all point in the same direction. I would advise anyone to look at the evidence for themselves. It is very troubling”.

Wesley J. SMith, an author on euthanasia and chair of US group the Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism, said he found the study unsurprising:

"It’s only logical. When the popular culture, media, some doctors, political advocates, and the law push some suicides, people with suicidal ideation...hear the message that suicide is proper".

He added: "Encouraging and aiding suicide for some — while trying to prevent others from killing themselves — is inconsistent and over time, untenable.

"We either try to prevent them all, or eventually we will end up akin to where Germany is now, thanks to a court ruling: suicide on demand for any reason — or no reason at all. It’s our choice."