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Euthanasia of a person with a psychiatric disorder does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights ( Mortier v. Belgium [no. 78017/17]).

Marc De HertS LoosK Van Assche
Published in: European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists (2022)
For more than 20 years, euthanasia in Belgium and The Netherlands is allowed for unbearable suffering caused by terminal or non-terminal illnesses, including psychiatric disorders. Although euthanasia numbers have been increasing over the years, the percentage of cases involving people with a primary psychiatric diagnosis has remained stable (between 1 and 2%). For these cases, the Belgian and Dutch Euthanasia Laws operate similar due care criteria: a well-considered, repeated, and voluntary request from a legally competent adult; a medical condition without prospect of improvement; constant and unbearable suffering that cannot be alleviated; consultation of two independent physicians, including a psychiatrist; and a posteriori evaluation and control [1-3].
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