To Lose a Loved One by Medical Assistance in Dying or by Natural Death with Palliative Care: A Mixed Methods Comparison of Grief Experiences.

ABSTRACT: The integration of assisted dying into end-of-life care is raising reflections on bereavement. Patients and families may be faced with a choice between this option and natural death assisted by palliative care; a choice that may affect grief. Therefore, this study describes and compares grief experiences of individuals who have lost a loved one by medical assistance in dying or natural death with palliative care. A mixed design was used. Sixty bereaved individuals completed two grief questionnaires. The qualitative component consisted of 16 individual semi-structured interviews. We found no statistically significant differences between medically assisted and natural deaths, and scores did not suggest grief complications. Qualitative results are nuanced: positive and negative imprints may i

SUBMITTER: Laperle P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11317015 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature