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Life, death, and 280 characters: a hashtag analysis of #AssistedSuicide on X (2015-2025)
Elisa Opriessnig1, Olena Litvinova2,3, Zilin Ma4
1Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Background:
Population aging and the growing prevalence of chronic diseases pose significant challenges to the global healthcare system and highlight the relevance of issues related to the end-of-life stages. Social media is an important platform for discussing and exchanging views on these issues. This study aims to analyse public discourse on the X platform (formerly Twitter) between 2015 and 2025, based on the text content of posts (tweets) containing the hashtag #AssistedSuicide.
Methods:
A retrospective analysis was conducted on 105,130 posts containing #AssistedSuicide, published by 28,314 users on X between 2015 and 2025. Data were retrieved via Fedica (20 February 2025) and processed using Python 3. The study included quantitative content analysis, sentiment analysis, geographic distribution mapping, keyword and hashtag analysis, and assessment of legislative discourse and potential amplification patterns.
Results:
Most posts (99.1%) were in English. The highest activity was observed in the United Kingdom (39.48%), the United States (29.75%), Canada (13.94%), New Zealand (6.22%), and Australia (3.80%), accounting for 93.19% of all posts. Legislative-related content represented a substantial thematic category (38.7%) and also included issues concerning vulnerable populations. Analysis of frequently occurring words and hashtags shows that the discussion on #AssistedSuicide is multifaceted, polarized, and closely linked to legislative, medical, and social issues. The discourse is characterized by high sensitivity to political events and shifts in tone during periods of legislative activity.
Conclusion:
This study highlights the value of large-scale social media analysis for understanding public attitudes toward assisted suicide and identifying its ethical, social, and regulatory dimensions. Palliative care remains central to reducing suffering and preserving human dignity. The findings underscore the need for evidence-based policies that ensure protection of vulnerable groups, support healthcare professionals, and promote balanced end-of-life care frameworks.
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