• Raymond Voltz, Kathleen Boström, Thomas Dojan, Carolin Rosendahl, Leonie Gehrke, Kija Shah-Hosseini, and Kerstin Kremeike.
• Department of Palliative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
• Palliat Med. 2022 Mar 1; 36 (3): 489-497.

BackgroundPalliative patients frequently express a desire to die. Health professionals report uncertainty regarding potential risks of addressing it.AimWe aim to evaluate effects of desire to die-conversations on palliative patients.DesignWithin a prospective mixed-methods cohort study, we trained health professionals in dealing with desire to die. Afterwards, they held conversations about it with patients. Effects on depressiveness, hopelessness, wish to hasten death, death anxiety, patient-health professional-relationship, and will to live were evaluated at baseline (t0), 1 (t1), and 6 weeks afterwards (t2). Results were analyzed descriptively.Setting/ParticipantsFrom April 2018 to March 2020, 43 health professionals asked 173 patients from all stationary and ambulatory palliative care settings (within 80 km radius) for participation. Complete assessments were obtained from n = 85 (t0), n = 64 (t1), and n = 46 (t2).ResultsAt t1, patients scored significantly lower on depressiveness (med = 8, M = 8.1, SD = 5.4) than at t0 (med = 9.5, M = 10.5, SD = 5.8) with Z = -3.220, p = 0.001 and Cohen's d = 0.42. This was due to medium-severely depressed patients: At t1, their depressiveness scores decreased significantly (med = 9, M = 9.8; SD = 5.1) compared to t0 (med = 14, M = 15.2; SD = 3.9) with Z = -3.730, p ⩽ 0.000 and Cohen's d = 1.2, but others' did not. All other outcomes showed positive descriptive trends.ConclusionsDesire to die-conversations through trained health professionals do not harm palliative patients. Results cautiously suggest temporary improvement.

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