The majority of Canadians oppose euthanasia for mental health.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The Angus Reid Institute conducted a poll that was published on February 13, 2023 concerning Canada's current (MAiD) euthanasia law. The poll indicates that support and opposition to euthanasia has increased. 

Recently the federal government announced that they are delaying the implementation of euthanasia for mental illness until March 17, 2024. Based on the current political direction, it is important that the majority of Canadians do not support euthanasia for mental health as a sole condition.

The poll indicated that 51% were opposed, 31% supported and 18% were unsure of euthanasia being approved for mental health as a sole condition.

Opposition to euthanasia for mental health as a sole condition was strongest in Saskatchewan with 68% opposition and 21% support and lowest in Québec with 43% opposition and 36% support. It is interesting that British Columbia, that has the highest rate of euthanasia deaths, had stronger opposition than the rest of Canada with 55% opposing euthanasia for mental health and 25% supporting it.

On the issue of whether Canadians should first attempt effective medical treatments before being approved for euthanasia, The Angus Reid Instute found that:

Two-thirds (65%) say that potential MAID patients should have to exhaust all treatment options to access the procedure. One-quarter (24%) disagree.

Canada's euthanasia law does not require a person to attempt effective medical treatment before being approved for euthanasia. The majority from every political party support the need to exhaust all treatment options before being approved for euthanasia and supporters of the Québec BQ party had the strongest support for this position at 73%.

The recent news of people with disabilities being approved for euthanasia, who requesting it based on poverty, homelessness, or an inability to receive effective medical care, is of concern to Canadians. Angus Reid Institute reported that:

More than half of Canadians (55%) say they worry about MAID taking the place of improvements in social service. One-in-three are not concerned (36%)

When examining different scenario's for approving euthanasia, the only category with a majority of Canadians supporting euthanasia is for people suffering from debilitating chronic pain. The Angus Reid Institute reported:

The only scenario that receives majority support (64%) is MAID for a person who is suffering from debilitating chronic pain. Two-in-five (40%) would support someone who has several serious health problems requesting MAID. Lower levels of support are found for mental disorders like serious depression (22%) or severe anxiety (16%).

Canada permits euthanasia, based on the interpretation of the assessor, for many of these conditions. Canadians seeking euthanasia based on "affordable housing" is only supported by 9% of Canadians, euthanasia based on having severe anxiety was supported by 16%, euthanasia based on depression was supported by 22% and euthanasia for an armed forces member with PTSD was supported by 23%.

The poll indicated that Québec residents are the strongest supporters of euthanasia. The poll found that 78% of Québec poll participants support the current euthanasia law, which was up from 62% in 2016. The Maritimes have the second highest support at 62% while it was interesting to not that the lowest support was in British Columbia with 51% support, even though BC has the highest percentage of deaths by euthanasia in Canada.

There were many factors that were included in the Angus Reid Instutite poll that you can examine (Link to the poll). Every poll question offered people the choices of supporting, opposing or not sure. When the poll stated that 65% supported and 24% opposed people being required to exhaust all effective medical treatments before being approved for euthanasia, that mean't that 11% were not sure.

Canadians do not support euthanasia for mental health as a sole condition and they do not support that our current law does not require people to exhaust effective medical treatments before they can be approved for euthanasia.

A study by Dr Sara Moore, a University of Ottawa medical oncologist examined 45 euthanasia deaths of people with lung cancer concluded that people with lung cancer who died by euthanasia were less likely to consult with a radiation or medical oncologist and less likely to undergo effective treatments. The study indicated that 13 of the 45 people with lung cancer who died by euthanasia did not even have a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. 

Dr Moore proved that some Canadians are dying by euthanasia who may have recovered with treatment and without confirming their diagnosis.

The Angus Reid Institute poll indicates that the majority of Canadians oppose euthanasia for mental health as a sole condition. A recent letter from more than 30 Canadian legal professors stated that there is no legal obligation for Canada's government to extend euthanasia to people with mental illness. It is clear that the federal government needs to reverse its position and not permit euthanasia for mental health as a sole condition.

Further reading:

• Quebec Court expands euthanasia law by striking down the terminal illness requirement. (Link).
• Canada passes Bill C-7 allowing euthanasia for mental illness (Link).
• Canada's law will provide not prevent suicide for some psychiatric patients (Link).
• Euthanasia for mental illness. Killing people with an uncertain prognosis (Link).
• Abbotsford police investigating euthanasia death (Link).
• Canada is not as advertised. Euthanasia is eugenics (Link).
• Canada's euthanasia law is the most permissive in the world (Link).
• (MAiD) euthanasia for disability and poverty (Link).
• (MAiD) euthanasia for mental illness and poverty (Link).
• Veterans affairs worker advocates euthanasia for PTSD (Link).\
• Abandoning people. Canada's broadening euthanasia laws (Link).
• Mother wants to stop 23-year-old son from dying by euthanasia (Link).
• Bereaved mother speaks out against euthanasia (Link).
• Woman died by euthanasia because of inadequate home care (Link).
• Infant euthanasia proposed by Quebec College of Physicians (Link).
• How poverty not pain is driving people with disabilities to euthanasia (Link).
• Ontario man seeks euthanasia to avoid homelessness (Link).
• Why did they kill my brother? (Link).
• Canada's doctors offer euthanasia before receiving a request (Link).
• Food bank clients asking for euthanasia based on poverty (Link).
• No other options. An expose on euthanasia in Canada (Link).
• Poverty and euthanasia creates public interest but euthanasia is abhorent on its own (Link).