Characteristics of the selected participants (n=25)
| Participants (n) | |
|---|---|
| Gender | |
| Male | 11 |
| Female | 14 |
| Age (average 82 years) | |
| Up to 80 | 12 |
| 80–90 | 8 |
| 90–99 | 5 |
| Partner status | |
| Partner (living together) | 5 |
| Partner (living in a nursing home) | 1 |
| LAT relationship | 1 |
| Widowed | 14 |
| Divorced | 2 |
| No partner | 2 |
| Children | |
| Children | 14 |
| Children (but no contact at all) | 2 |
| Children (deceased) | 2 |
| Childlessness (both involuntary or by choice) | 7 |
| Living situation | |
| Independent | 19 |
| Semidependent | 4 |
| Care home | 2 |
| Belief | |
| Humanism | 4 |
| Christianity | 6 |
| Anthroposophy/esoterism | 3 |
| Agnosticism | 2 |
| No belief | 10 |
| Most important former occupation | |
| Supervisor, manager, director, entrepreneur | 6 |
| Psychotherapist/nurse/social worker | 5 |
| Technician, chemist | 2 |
| Politician | 1 |
| Teacher/lecturer | 4 |
| Accountant/secretary | 2 |
| Interior designer | 1 |
| Housewife/pastor's wife | 2 |
| Several ‘unsuccessful’ jobs | 2 |
| Relevant health problems mentioned by participants | |
| No serious illness | 10 |
| Sensory disorders: anosmia, hyperacusis, tinnitus, deafness, macular degeneration | 7 |
| Craniomandibular dysfunction, facial pain | 2 |
| Arthritis, rheumatism, fibromyalgia, hip replacement, rib and spinal injuries, osteoporosis | 6 |
| Chronic fatigue | 3 |
| Diabetes | 3 |
| Intestinal disease | 1 |
| Valvular heart diseases: cardiac failure, TIAs, valve repair | 6 |
| Serious itchiness | 2 |
| Outcome of screening for depression (HADS) | |
| 1–7 (no indication) | 15 |
| 8–10 (mild) | 6 |
| 11–15 (moderate) | 2 |
| 16 or above (severe) | 1 |
| Outcome of screening for anxiety (HADS) | |
| 1–7 (no indication) | 21 |
| 8–10 (mild) | 3 |
| 11–15 (moderate) | 0 |
| 16 or above (severe) | 0 |
| Membership of a right-to-die organisation | |
| Yes | 23 |
| No | 1 |
| Unknown | 1 |
HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; LAT, living apart together; TIA, transient ischaemic attack.