Caught between intending and doing
older people ideating on a self-chosenCaught between intending and doing
older people ideating on a self-chosenSamenvatting
Objectives: The aim of this paper is to provide insight
into what it means to live with the intention to end life
at a self-chosen moment from an insider perspective.
Setting: Participants who lived independent or
semidependent throughout the Netherlands.
Participants: 25 Dutch older citizens (mean age of
82 years) participated. They were ideating on a selfchosen
death because they considered their lives to be
no longer worth living. Inclusion criteria were that they:
(1) considered their lives to be ‘completed’; (2)
suffered from the prospect of living on; (3) currently
wished to die; (4) were 70 years of age or older; (5)
were not terminally ill; (6) considered themselves to be
mentally competent; (7) considered their death wish
reasonable.
Design: In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews
were carried out in the participants’ everyday home
environment (median lasting 1.56 h). Verbatim
transcripts were analysed based on the principles of
phenomenological thematic analysis.
Results: The liminality or ‘in-betweenness’ of
intending and actually performing self-directed death
(or not) is characterised as a constant feeling of being
torn explicated by the following pairs of themes: (1)
detachment and attachment; (2) rational and nonrational
considerations; (3) taking control and lingering
uncertainty; (4) resisting interference and longing for
support; (5) legitimacy and illegitimacy.
Conclusions: Our findings show that the in-between
period emerges as a considerable, existential challenge
with both rational and non-rational concerns and
thoughts, rather than a calculative, coherent sum of
rational considerations. Our study highlights the need
to take due consideration of all ambiguities and
ambivalences present after a putatively rational
decision has been made in order to develop careful
policy and support for this particular group of older
people.
Gepubliceerd in | BMJ Open Pagina's: 1-12 p. |
Datum | 2016-01-18 |
Type | Artikel |
Taal | Engels |