Defining End of Life in Eating Disorders: Views on the Proposed Criteria for Terminal Anorexia

This project aims to better understand different perspectives on recently proposed clinical characteristics of terminal anorexia nervosa (Gaudiani et al., 2022). Such criteria have substantial implications as they will be used to identify eligibility for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Presently there is no consensus with respect to defining what constitutes palliative or terminal definitions of anorexia. Thus, this project seeks to explore how people with lived experience, caregivers for those with EDs, and ED clinicians view the proposed criteria for terminal anorexia. Our goal is to better understand different perspectives on this controversial topic to help inform future discussion, research projects, and theory when discussing MAiD for eating disorders.