Long-term development of assisted suicide in Switzerland: analysis of a 20-year experience (1999–2018)

AIMS OF THE STUDY: The legalisation of assisted suicide is one of the most debated topics in the field of medical ethics worldwide. In countries in which assisted suicide is not legal, public discussions about its approval also encompass considerations of the long-term consequences that such legalisation would bring, for example, how many people will use this option, from what conditions would they be suffering, would there be differences between male and female assisted suicide and which developments and trends could be expected if there were to be a marked increase of cases of assisted suicide over time? METHODS: In order to answer these questions, we present the development of assisted suicide in Switzerland over a 20-year period (1999–2018; 8738 cases) using data from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office. RESULTS: During the observation period, the number of assisted suicides rose significantly: when four 5-year periods (1999–2003, 2004–2008, 2009–2013, 2014–2018) were analysed, the number of assisted suicide cases doubled over each period compared with the preceding one (Χ = 206.7, 270.4 and 897.4; p