Bereavement in the context of medical assistance in dying

Medical assistance in dying (MAID) has been legal in Québec since 2015. In 2023, MAID accounted for nearly 7% of all deaths in the province, which is the highest rate in the world. How does this procedure affect the bereavement experience of loved ones?

Isabelle Dumont, a researcher in the School of Social Work at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), conducted 20 interviews with people who had accompanied a loved one through the MAID process. She wanted to identify the elements that positively or negatively impact the assisted end of life experience.

She found that open communication between the dying person and their family and good family cohesion were protective factors for loved ones. When patients gather loved ones around them and clearly explain the reasons for their decision, this helps the bereaved to better cope with what remains a difficult ordeal.

Knowing in advance when death would occur was painful for some loved ones, who lost all hope of seeing the dying person's life prolonged a little longer. For others, the MAID process was beneficial in allowing for planned farewells and the establishment of rituals.

The reverse was also true. If tensions already exist within a family, the use of MAID may be more difficult for some loved ones to cope with. This is particularly true when these individuals have a negative view of MAID or are outright opposed to it. In fact, some accounts revealed cases where the dying person refused to tell their extended family that they would be using MAID.

Isabelle Dumont's work has shown the need for greater support, from the moment the request for MAID is made until the bereavement. This knowledge could contribute to the development of preventive intervention strategies in the context of medical assistance in dying.