More than 1 in 10 Canadians (13% to 15%) aged 15 and older report experiencing high levels of loneliness, a number that rises to 17-25% among youth and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. Often described as a “silent epidemic,” this chronic isolation is associated with poorer mental health, lower life satisfaction, and increased physical health risks. Statistics Canada
Half of non-terminally ill people applying for MAID report being lonely
When applying for MAID, patients are asked to detail all the types of suffering they’re experiencing in order to determine if their condition qualifies as something “grievous and irremediable” — and thus eligible for death. Health Canada’s report reveals that 47.1 per cent of non-terminally ill Canadians who applied for MAID reported “isolation or loneliness” as one of the causes of their suffering. This was significantly higher than the number of terminally ill applicants who said the same (21.1 per cent). If that 47.1 per cent figure is roughly applied to the 622 Canadians who were approved for MAID despite not having a terminal illness (Health Canada calls them “track two applicants”) — that’s roughly 300 Canadians who cited “isolation or loneliness” as to why they should be allowed a premature death.