Young People with Mental Health Issues Dying in Hospices in the Netherlands by Stopping Eating and Drinking
In a short period, at least four people in their twenties with severe mental health problems have died after voluntarily stopping eating and drinking, under supervision in Dutch hospices. This practice is relatively new for this group and is raising serious concerns among experts. Many are calling for clear rules and guidelines.
A hospice is traditionally a place where terminally ill people, often elderly, go to spend their final days surrounded by compassionate care from volunteers and professionals when they can no longer die at home. Occasionally, younger people with incurable physical illnesses are admitted.
An Alarming New Development
What is new — and alarming — is that physically healthy young adults in their twenties are now being admitted to hospices in the Netherlands specifically to stop eating and drinking, with the explicit intention of hastening death. This method is far from a "gentle" or easy death; it is often a prolonged and burdensome process that can last up to three weeks and involve significant suffering.
Investigative journalism program EenVandaag spoke with hospice organizations, involved parties, and examined closed Facebook groups where people share "tips." In these groups, users discuss alternatives when an euthanasia request has been rejected or is taking too long. Participants mention stopping eating and drinking as an option and note that it can be done voluntarily in a hospice.
"Such messages are dangerous," says Aukje Eggenhuizen, policy advisor at MIND, the Dutch advocacy organization for people with mental health problems. "These conversations can quickly lead people into a trap where death starts to seem like the only way out."
Example from a Closed Facebook Group
"I've been thinking about it for a while myself. I should just stop eating and drinking."
"We've discussed that option too, but my daughter's psychiatrist says that if she does that, they are obliged to intervene. So apparently that option isn't possible either."
"It can be done voluntarily, you know. You can apply through a hospice."
Another user claims it is relatively quick and painless: "With a bit of luck it will be as you imagine. Your body and mind stop craving food. I think it's already over after 3 days… No pain."
A Grueling Process
Those who have witnessed the process describe a very different reality. Mireille Molenaar, a former youth protection worker, was present when 21-year-old Indra died this way in December 2025. She visited the hospice frequently and even stayed over to support Indra, who had given permission for her story to be told.
"It's been three months now and I'm still shaken," Mireille said. "It was such a heavy process. They could hardly control the pain, probably because Indra had already been on so much medication throughout her life. She had flashbacks of traumatic events and a lot of restlessness — and this went on for weeks."
Indra's death took 22 days. She had been deeply traumatized by closed admissions in youth care. "What I find so heartbreaking is that she said: 'This is the first place where I am treated with love and where people actually listen to me,'" Mireille recalled.
"That needs to change much earlier," the former youth worker emphasized. "Young people need to be seen and loved so they can still find purpose in life. This was her choice, and I could support her with love in those final weeks. But I would have wished a different life for her."
Hospice Care Is Not Intended for This
Until about two years ago, guidelines advised against stopping eating and drinking for people under 60 because of the lengthy (up to three weeks) and painful nature of the process. This was stated in the "Care for people who consciously stop eating and drinking to hasten the end of life" handbook. When the guideline was revised in 2024, the age limit was removed, lowering the threshold for young people with psychiatric suffering.
Professor of health law and ethicist Martin Buijsen argues that hospices are not meant for this purpose. "According to the law, everyone has the right to good care. These young people have a right to the psychiatric help that their doctors believe is still possible. Hospice care is not intended for these people and is not the appropriate care for them," he said.
No Clear Rules
Strikingly, each hospice decides individually whether or not to admit a young adult for this purpose. There are no national guidelines in the Netherlands. It often does not appear to matter whether psychiatric treatment options still exist. This was evident in the case of a 21-year-old woman who spoke twice with EenVandaag before entering a hospice.
After six years of repeated admissions, crises, and periods of improvement, she wanted euthanasia. It was unclear whether it would be granted, and she would first have to undergo therapy that her doctors believed could still help. She no longer wanted that. After learning about the option via Facebook, stopping eating and drinking in a hospice became her plan. The hospice admitted her after receiving a statement confirming she was mentally competent. The hospice declined to comment on questions from EenVandaag.
In the week before admission, the young woman focused on saying goodbye. Her mental health care providers also visited. "My therapists say they are there for me if I change my mind, and that I can continue with treatment. I think that's incredibly kind, but it's also difficult, because they are expressing hope that I will choose life. I'm afraid of disappointing them."
Despite her certainty, after thirteen extremely difficult days, she decided to stop the process and resume eating and drinking. Even in a severely weakened state, it is possible to reverse the decision.
A New Phenomenon
The two umbrella organizations for hospices — VPTZ (Volunteers for Palliative Terminal Care) and AHZN (Association of Hospice Care Netherlands) — confirm that this is a new development for them as well. VPTZ, the largest umbrella, has no overview of how often it occurs or in how many hospices. Members have not yet raised questions about it with the organization.
AHZN states that affiliated hospices have not experienced this, and that admission would never take place if treatment options still exist.
Need for Thorough Investigation
Aukje Eggenhuizen of MIND stresses that this issue requires very thorough examination. "For euthanasia in people with mental health problems, there are clear rules. And currently, psychiatrists are debating whether euthanasia is even appropriate for young people. The brain is not fully developed until around age 25, which means there is still potential for improvement."
She therefore calls for clear guidelines for hospices on admission criteria. "Otherwise, there is a risk that young people will die who still had a chance at a livable life. We see this often with severe psychiatric issues: it can feel hopeless for years with no prospect of improvement, and yet improvement can still occur later."
Eggenhuizen also points out that this group often has not received adequate mental health care. "Let's first look at that and work on providing more and better care for these young people, precisely to prevent them from becoming so exhausted that they see no way to relieve their suffering."
Toosje Valkenburg similarly calls for mapping what is currently happening. "I think we first need insight. Hospices that receive these requests from young adults should be able to communicate openly about them. This needs to be investigated. If it turns out to be a rising trend, then it is a shared responsibility — not just for hospices."
Legal Perspective
Legally, providing care and supervision to someone who stops eating and drinking to hasten death does not fall under "assistance with suicide." Hospices offering this care in the Netherlands are therefore not breaking the law.
However, while strict legal criteria apply to euthanasia and assisted suicide — such as unbearable and hopeless suffering — these do not apply to the same extent when admitting young people with mental health problems to a hospice.
This emerging practice in the Netherlands highlights a gap in regulation and raises profound ethical questions about how society supports young people in severe mental distress. Experts emphasize the urgent need for better psychiatric care, earlier intervention, and clear national guidelines to prevent avoidable deaths among those who might still have a chance at recovery.
Source:
https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/arti...met-eten-en-drinken-heel-erg-zorgelijk-162949
In a short period, at least four people in their twenties with severe mental health problems have died after voluntarily stopping eating and drinking, under supervision in Dutch hospices. This practice is relatively new for this group and is raising serious concerns among experts. Many are calling for clear rules and guidelines.
A hospice is traditionally a place where terminally ill people, often elderly, go to spend their final days surrounded by compassionate care from volunteers and professionals when they can no longer die at home. Occasionally, younger people with incurable physical illnesses are admitted.
An Alarming New Development
What is new — and alarming — is that physically healthy young adults in their twenties are now being admitted to hospices in the Netherlands specifically to stop eating and drinking, with the explicit intention of hastening death. This method is far from a "gentle" or easy death; it is often a prolonged and burdensome process that can last up to three weeks and involve significant suffering.
Investigative journalism program EenVandaag spoke with hospice organizations, involved parties, and examined closed Facebook groups where people share "tips." In these groups, users discuss alternatives when an euthanasia request has been rejected or is taking too long. Participants mention stopping eating and drinking as an option and note that it can be done voluntarily in a hospice.
"Such messages are dangerous," says Aukje Eggenhuizen, policy advisor at MIND, the Dutch advocacy organization for people with mental health problems. "These conversations can quickly lead people into a trap where death starts to seem like the only way out."
Example from a Closed Facebook Group
"I've been thinking about it for a while myself. I should just stop eating and drinking."
"We've discussed that option too, but my daughter's psychiatrist says that if she does that, they are obliged to intervene. So apparently that option isn't possible either."
"It can be done voluntarily, you know. You can apply through a hospice."
Another user claims it is relatively quick and painless: "With a bit of luck it will be as you imagine. Your body and mind stop craving food. I think it's already over after 3 days… No pain."
A Grueling Process
Those who have witnessed the process describe a very different reality. Mireille Molenaar, a former youth protection worker, was present when 21-year-old Indra died this way in December 2025. She visited the hospice frequently and even stayed over to support Indra, who had given permission for her story to be told.
"It's been three months now and I'm still shaken," Mireille said. "It was such a heavy process. They could hardly control the pain, probably because Indra had already been on so much medication throughout her life. She had flashbacks of traumatic events and a lot of restlessness — and this went on for weeks."
Indra's death took 22 days. She had been deeply traumatized by closed admissions in youth care. "What I find so heartbreaking is that she said: 'This is the first place where I am treated with love and where people actually listen to me,'" Mireille recalled.
"That needs to change much earlier," the former youth worker emphasized. "Young people need to be seen and loved so they can still find purpose in life. This was her choice, and I could support her with love in those final weeks. But I would have wished a different life for her."
Hospice Care Is Not Intended for This
Until about two years ago, guidelines advised against stopping eating and drinking for people under 60 because of the lengthy (up to three weeks) and painful nature of the process. This was stated in the "Care for people who consciously stop eating and drinking to hasten the end of life" handbook. When the guideline was revised in 2024, the age limit was removed, lowering the threshold for young people with psychiatric suffering.
Professor of health law and ethicist Martin Buijsen argues that hospices are not meant for this purpose. "According to the law, everyone has the right to good care. These young people have a right to the psychiatric help that their doctors believe is still possible. Hospice care is not intended for these people and is not the appropriate care for them," he said.
No Clear Rules
Strikingly, each hospice decides individually whether or not to admit a young adult for this purpose. There are no national guidelines in the Netherlands. It often does not appear to matter whether psychiatric treatment options still exist. This was evident in the case of a 21-year-old woman who spoke twice with EenVandaag before entering a hospice.
After six years of repeated admissions, crises, and periods of improvement, she wanted euthanasia. It was unclear whether it would be granted, and she would first have to undergo therapy that her doctors believed could still help. She no longer wanted that. After learning about the option via Facebook, stopping eating and drinking in a hospice became her plan. The hospice admitted her after receiving a statement confirming she was mentally competent. The hospice declined to comment on questions from EenVandaag.
In the week before admission, the young woman focused on saying goodbye. Her mental health care providers also visited. "My therapists say they are there for me if I change my mind, and that I can continue with treatment. I think that's incredibly kind, but it's also difficult, because they are expressing hope that I will choose life. I'm afraid of disappointing them."
Despite her certainty, after thirteen extremely difficult days, she decided to stop the process and resume eating and drinking. Even in a severely weakened state, it is possible to reverse the decision.
A New Phenomenon
The two umbrella organizations for hospices — VPTZ (Volunteers for Palliative Terminal Care) and AHZN (Association of Hospice Care Netherlands) — confirm that this is a new development for them as well. VPTZ, the largest umbrella, has no overview of how often it occurs or in how many hospices. Members have not yet raised questions about it with the organization.
AHZN states that affiliated hospices have not experienced this, and that admission would never take place if treatment options still exist.
Need for Thorough Investigation
Aukje Eggenhuizen of MIND stresses that this issue requires very thorough examination. "For euthanasia in people with mental health problems, there are clear rules. And currently, psychiatrists are debating whether euthanasia is even appropriate for young people. The brain is not fully developed until around age 25, which means there is still potential for improvement."
She therefore calls for clear guidelines for hospices on admission criteria. "Otherwise, there is a risk that young people will die who still had a chance at a livable life. We see this often with severe psychiatric issues: it can feel hopeless for years with no prospect of improvement, and yet improvement can still occur later."
Eggenhuizen also points out that this group often has not received adequate mental health care. "Let's first look at that and work on providing more and better care for these young people, precisely to prevent them from becoming so exhausted that they see no way to relieve their suffering."
Toosje Valkenburg similarly calls for mapping what is currently happening. "I think we first need insight. Hospices that receive these requests from young adults should be able to communicate openly about them. This needs to be investigated. If it turns out to be a rising trend, then it is a shared responsibility — not just for hospices."
Legal Perspective
Legally, providing care and supervision to someone who stops eating and drinking to hasten death does not fall under "assistance with suicide." Hospices offering this care in the Netherlands are therefore not breaking the law.
However, while strict legal criteria apply to euthanasia and assisted suicide — such as unbearable and hopeless suffering — these do not apply to the same extent when admitting young people with mental health problems to a hospice.
This emerging practice in the Netherlands highlights a gap in regulation and raises profound ethical questions about how society supports young people in severe mental distress. Experts emphasize the urgent need for better psychiatric care, earlier intervention, and clear national guidelines to prevent avoidable deaths among those who might still have a chance at recovery.
Source:
https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/arti...met-eten-en-drinken-heel-erg-zorgelijk-162949
