Questioning the Ethics of Assisted Dying for the Mentally Ill
Since Canada legalized medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2016, it has become one of the most permissive regimes in the world for euthanasia and assisted suicide. The number of deaths has risen rapidly and the categories of eligibility continue to expand. The country is poised, as of March 2024,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Programmes de bioéthique, École de santé publique de l'Université de Montréal
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Canadian Journal of Bioethics |
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| Online Access: | https://cjb-rcb.ca/index.php/cjb-rcb/article/view/671 |
| _version_ | 1797401127138885632 |
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| author | Patrick Craine |
| author_facet | Patrick Craine |
| author_sort | Patrick Craine |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Since Canada legalized medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2016, it has become one of the most permissive regimes in the world for euthanasia and assisted suicide. The number of deaths has risen rapidly and the categories of eligibility continue to expand. The country is poised, as of March 2024, to allow MAID for those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness, generating considerable debate. Advocates of MAID for mental illness often frame it as a question of equal access, but this extension involves considerable complexities not present in other cases. This paper examines psychiatric MAID in the Canadian context, engaging directly with the most pertinent arguments of the practice’s advocates. The paper argues that independent of any prior commitments vis-à-vis the permissibility of MAID per se, there is a clear ethical and legal necessity to oppose extending MAID on the grounds of mental illness if we follow the parameters set up within the Canadian regime. The paper advances three arguments: first, that mental illnesses cannot be deemed irremediable, as required by the Canadian law; second, that we cannot establish with adequate certainty that a mentally ill patient has the decision-making capacity to choose MAID; and third, that allowing psychiatric MAID will have a devastating impact on care and support of the mentally ill.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:05:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2024511ce9624d67889cdb67f7a2f807 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2561-4665 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:05:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Programmes de bioéthique, École de santé publique de l'Université de Montréal |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Canadian Journal of Bioethics |
| spelling | doaj.art-2024511ce9624d67889cdb67f7a2f8072023-12-07T19:21:53ZengProgrammes de bioéthique, École de santé publique de l'Université de MontréalCanadian Journal of Bioethics2561-46652023-12-0163-410.7202/1108008arQuestioning the Ethics of Assisted Dying for the Mentally IllPatrick Craine0Faculty of Theology, Dominican University College, Ottawa, Canada Since Canada legalized medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2016, it has become one of the most permissive regimes in the world for euthanasia and assisted suicide. The number of deaths has risen rapidly and the categories of eligibility continue to expand. The country is poised, as of March 2024, to allow MAID for those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness, generating considerable debate. Advocates of MAID for mental illness often frame it as a question of equal access, but this extension involves considerable complexities not present in other cases. This paper examines psychiatric MAID in the Canadian context, engaging directly with the most pertinent arguments of the practice’s advocates. The paper argues that independent of any prior commitments vis-à-vis the permissibility of MAID per se, there is a clear ethical and legal necessity to oppose extending MAID on the grounds of mental illness if we follow the parameters set up within the Canadian regime. The paper advances three arguments: first, that mental illnesses cannot be deemed irremediable, as required by the Canadian law; second, that we cannot establish with adequate certainty that a mentally ill patient has the decision-making capacity to choose MAID; and third, that allowing psychiatric MAID will have a devastating impact on care and support of the mentally ill. https://cjb-rcb.ca/index.php/cjb-rcb/article/view/671medical assistance in dyingMAIDethicseuthanasiaassisted suicidemental illness |
| spellingShingle | Patrick Craine Questioning the Ethics of Assisted Dying for the Mentally Ill Canadian Journal of Bioethics medical assistance in dying MAID ethics euthanasia assisted suicide mental illness |
| title | Questioning the Ethics of Assisted Dying for the Mentally Ill |
| title_full | Questioning the Ethics of Assisted Dying for the Mentally Ill |
| title_fullStr | Questioning the Ethics of Assisted Dying for the Mentally Ill |
| title_full_unstemmed | Questioning the Ethics of Assisted Dying for the Mentally Ill |
| title_short | Questioning the Ethics of Assisted Dying for the Mentally Ill |
| title_sort | questioning the ethics of assisted dying for the mentally ill |
| topic | medical assistance in dying MAID ethics euthanasia assisted suicide mental illness |
| url | https://cjb-rcb.ca/index.php/cjb-rcb/article/view/671 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT patrickcraine questioningtheethicsofassisteddyingforthementallyill |