Autistic teenager with mental health struggles euthanized in the Netherlands

A teenager diagnosed with autism has been euthanized in the Netherlands, and experts are warning of similar dangers in other countries.

Key Takeaways:

• A Dutch teenager between the ages of 16 and 18 was euthanized less than five years after being diagnosed with autism.

• He described his life as joyless and remained in bed all day, but his doctor still approved the euthanasia. His mental health difficulties appeared to stem from many of his struggles related to autism.

• Euthanasia for psychiatric reasons has drastically increased in the Netherlands since it was legalized.

• One psychiatrist pointed to the case as a "wake-up call" for Canada, where euthanasia laws are even more lax.

The Details:

Writing for the National Post, Sharon Kirkey reported on the case, which was outlined in the Regional Euthanasia Committees' (RTE) most recent annual report. In the summation, the teenager's name and age were not given; he was listed only as a boy between the ages of 16 and 18.

He was described as having been diagnosed with autism four-and-a-half years before his death; additionally, he was described as struggling with anxiety, mood disorders, and depression, including suicidal ideation. Just two years before his euthanasia, he had attempted suicide.

His life was described in bleak terms:

The patient described his life as ‘joyless’. He felt very lonely, was deeply unhappy and derived no enjoyment from anything. He was unable to connect with peers and find where he fit in in society, and felt misunderstood by others. He was troubled by the fact that he could see his peers developing while he was unable to put his capabilities to use, and had reached a dead end. Every day was an ordeal he had to get through. As he was oversensitive to stimuli and unable to regulate his emotions, he was very limited in what he could do. He could hardly leave his house at all, because without his mother’s stabilising influence he became overstimulated too quickly and suffered angry outbursts or panic attacks. Life was a constant struggle for him, with no prospects whatsoever. In the final weeks before his death, he lay in bed the whole time.

While it should have been clear that this teenager, still a minor child, was experiencing serious mental health issues, his doctor still approved his euthanasia after interviewing the patient, his parents, and other health care providers. The report continued:

Despite the patient’s young age, the physician had no doubts whatsoever about his decisional competence with regard to the request for euthanasia. He was able to assess the situation and understood the consequences of euthanasia for himself and his loved ones. He was able to clearly describe his suffering and his considerations and had also explained his wish in a written request for euthanasia. His wish for euthanasia was long-standing and consistent. The physician was also satisfied there was no pressure from those around him. On the contrary, both those close to him and his healthcare providers had long tried to persuade him to change his mind, but to no avail.

The ultimate conclusion was that the doctor's decision to euthanize a mentally ill child was acceptable and sound, with multiple other health care practitioners agreeing that the boy should be euthanized.

Zoom Out:

Kirkey noted that this should be a warning sign for Canada, which has extremely lax euthanasia laws. The Netherlands has seen a rise in euthanasia deaths for mental illness, and similar results can be expected in Canada, which is looking to legalize euthanasia for mental illness.

Dr. Sonu Gaind, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and a past president of the Canadian Psychiatric Association, told Kirkey this case should serve as a wake-up call. “The threshold (for assisted death) in Canada is actually lower than the Netherlands,” Gaind said. “If MAID for sole mental illness is opened up in Canada, the numbers would significantly exceed what you see in the Netherlands.”

It is already evident that the system has become out of control in the Netherlands; multiple people are known to have been killed for what appears to have been depression or similar mental health issues, and similarly, it appears that people are being approved for euthanasia in Canada solely due to autism.

The Bottom Line:

Assisted suicide and euthanasia regimes quickly become dangerous for the most vulnerable people in society: the sick, the disabled, and the elderly.