Research / Studies

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A research into 387 files of members of DIGNITAS shows that of those members who actually completed their formal request for an accompanied suicide and who actually received a “provisional green light”, only some 14 % actually made use of an accompanied suicide with DIGNITAS.

Excerpt of the diploma thesis (PDF, in German)

Research by a student of the Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany, into 138 accompanied suicides at DIGNITAS, shows that the preparation and assessment time between becoming a member of DIGNITAS and the actual accompanied suicide is around 3 to 6 months. The study disproves claims that it is possible to travel to DIGNITAS one day and receive access to an accompanied suicide right away.

Study (PDF, in German)

The 'window of opportunity' for death after severe brain injury: family experiences (PDF)

This article by Professors Celia and Jenny Kitzinger explores the problems associated with the right to die for people who lack the capacity to make that choice (because they are in a coma, vegetative, minimally conscious etc). It builds on and develops the emerging bioethics literature on the 'window of opportunity' for allowing death by withholding or withdrawing treatment.

What are the social and economic costs deriving from suicides in Switzerland? What is the price of desperation which has to be paid due to some 1300 suicides and ten-thousands of suicide attempts?

Study "The Price of Desperation" (PDF, in German)

The article "Legal, political and ethical aspects of the assisted dying debate in Germany“, published in the journal “Aufklärung und Kritik”, special edition 11/2006 (ISSN 0945-6627) provides many references to studies, numbers and facts regarding suicides in Germany and Switzerland.

Article (PDF, in German)