Canadian MP: Suicide hotlines experiencing surge in MAID requests

A Canadian MP has warned that people suffering from suicidal ideation are calling the national suicide hotline and having discussions about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).

Key Takeaways:

• Tamara Jansen, who represents Cloverdale—Langley City, testified during a recent meeting of the Special Joint Committee on MAID.

• She warned that people are calling the 9-8-8 suicide crisis hotline and asking about MAiD.

• Jansen argued this is further reason to pass C-218, which would stop the planned rollout of allowing assisted suicide and euthanasia solely for mental illness.

The Details:

During her testimony, Jansen warned that Canadians are now calling the national suicide hotline to seek out MAiD, solely because they are experiencing suicidal thoughts or ideations.

She questioned Dr. Allison Crawford, chief medical officer of Canada’s 9-8-8 suicide crisis helpline, who affirmed that not only are suicidal people calling the hotline seeking out MAiD, but that their suicidal ideations are stronger.

"Dr. Crawford, you said that up to 7% of calls to Canada's suicide crisis line have people mentioning MAiD as an option, and the majority of those callers had thoughts of suicide in just the previous two days. So if I understand that right, when MAID comes up in those 988 calls, you're talking to people who are much more likely to be in an acute suicidal state, compared to the ones who don't mention it. Is that a fair understanding of what your data is showing?" Jansen asked (emphasis added).

The answer, according to Crawford, is yes.

"Yes. I mean, we're still analyzing this as we go. As you know, 988 is a relatively new service, but we've had almost 900,000 calls and texts to the service," Crawford said, noting (emphases added):

"Seven percent represents almost 70,000 interactions. And what we're finding is that when people reference MAID, they have a much higher degree of suicidality than callers and texters that don't reference MAID. And I think that the key point here is that, people make a lot about being able to distinguish suicidality from an interest in our wish to die due to MAID. And we are seeing a great deal of overlap in those populations. And that clearly is suffering, but suffering that overlaps."

Jansen further testified that the way Canada promotes MAID is leading to suicide contagion.

"We hear and see portrayals of MAID in serene and dreamy surroundings, with the idea that this kind of death is heroic and self-sacrificing, which is, of course, very opposite to the suicide prevention messaging," she said. "Normally, we don't amplify or glorify the actions of, say, a shooter, for example, in order to avoid copycat behavior."

Jansen argued that embracing MAID for mental illness ultimately undermines suicide prevention efforts.

“You cannot tell people to call 9-8-8, hold on, and seek help, while also preparing to offer assisted death for the very same suffering,” Jansen said. “That contradiction puts lives at risk.”

Zoom Out:

Jansen introduced C-218 to stop the expansion of MAID for mental illness, which is set to take effect in 2027. The bill would amend the criminal code to explicitly ban “assisted dying” for mental illness, because “a mental disorder is not a grievous and irremediable medical condition.”

Since being legalized in 2016, deaths from MAID have skyrocketed in Canada, so much so that the country is now one of the world’s leaders in euthanasia deaths. It will be further expanded again if C-218 fails.

Already, there are reports of people being approved for MAID due solely to mental illness; a man in 2022 was approved for being disabled and struggling with mental illness. Others have been approved for MAID due to disability, poverty, and financial issues. 

The Bottom Line:

The information given by Jansen highlights a disturbing reality. Sending a message that assisted suicide is acceptable for "suffering" also encourages those struggling with suicidal ideation that their instinct to take their own life is correct, and should be acted upon.