Challenges in pastoral care practice in euthanasia: A concept mapping study among Dutch protestant pastors

Abstract

This study explores the various difficulties that protestant pastors experience in the context of care for parishioners with a wish for euthanasia. In a reproducible and non-subjective way, using the concept mapping method, we cluster and rank-order 600 elements that pastors had mentioned as “difficult in caring for parishioners with a death wish” in an earlier survey study. The three clusters of items ranked as most difficult are connected with inappropriate care, doubts whether euthanasia in specific circumstances is justified, and disagreements between pastor and parishioner, including the emotional burden arising from those disagreements.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the support from some colleagues who were of importance for our work, of whom we mention three by name: Reinier Akkermans MSc (statistical analyses), Professor Johan J. Graafland (general comments and statistical analyses), and Lisanne Mulderij PhD (Concept Mapping).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.