Upon MAiD’s introduction in Canada, the MAiD program came with a guarantee of rigorous safeguards. It has recently ignited unprecedented alarm over its impact on more vulnerable populations, particularly those with disabilities. MAiD is becoming increasingly normalized and accepted within the Canadian social fabric. According to national reports, people with disabilities are opting for this option at a disproportionately higher rate.
MAiD has been used more frequently by Canadians in the throes of difficult to navigate end-of-life decisions. In just 2023 so far, data showed more than half of those who chose MAiD had underlying disabilities. Yet this trend raises some critical issues. Are these safeguards stringent enough to ensure that people are not made to feel coerced into death due to underlying psychosocial or physical vulnerabilities?
This is particularly concerning when statistics show that in Ontario, people with disabilities represented the most likely group to seek MAiD. The federal government had originally assured the public that these safeguards would prevent people burdened by such vulnerabilities from being included in the MAiD program. As more and more evidence has come to light, there is increasing alarm that these promises never materialized.
Today, almost 15 percent of Canadian MAiD deaths in 2023 are associated with degenerative neurological conditions. Additionally, of every 100 MAiD deaths in the country, just up to 28 requests were denied. This raises a troubling question: Are the safeguards truly effective in protecting vulnerable individuals?
Together in tandem, our analysis of the demographics checked every box and laid out a compelling narrative. Patients with psychiatric conditions are much more likely to seek MAiD than patients without such mental health conditions. More than 22 percent of MAiD patients had expressed a sense of loneliness. This further underscores the vital importance of strong social support systems, particularly for people with disabilities.
The findings also highlight a stark reality. From 2019 to 2023, 42 percent of all MAiD deaths included people who needed disability supports. Alarmingly, 1,017 of the people who were approved to die by MAiD had never accessed any kind of disability support. This is indicative of a larger systemic problem with our healthcare infrastructure. This could, in turn, risk driving vulnerable populations into MAiD prematurely, before they have had access to appropriate palliative care alternatives.
Beginning in 2027, the eligibility criteria for MAiD will expand. Those living only with mental health conditions will not be left out. This pending regulatory change has ignited passionate controversy. Cognizably, it seems most people are troubled by the morality of assisted death for people whose conditions could be addressed through other means.
Public sentiment regarding MAiD remains complex. The majority of Canadians support the current legal framework for assisted dying – a law that offers Canadians death with dignity. They don’t think it should be considered outside the box. One disconnect between public support and the increasing rate of people with disabilities opting for MAiD. This growing crisis dramatically underscores the need for a comprehensive reevaluation of the program to ensure it does no harm to vulnerable populations.
