Can physicians conceive of performing euthanasia in case of psychiatric disease, dementia or being tired of living?

  • Thread starter Thread starter hazcompat
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Sure they can. Once physicians have accepted the notion that killing a patient can be a form of treatment, the rest is just a matter of degree.

“The response rate was 64% (n=1456). Most physicians found it conceivable that they would grant a request for EAS in a patient with cancer or another physical disease (85% and 82%). Less than half of the physicians found this conceivable in patients with psychiatric disease (34%), early-stage dementia (40%), advanced dementia (29–33%) or tired of living (27%). General practitioners were most likely to find it conceivable that they would perform EAS.”
 
My question is about the people with psychiatric problems. How can a doctor know for sure that the patient is of sound mind when making such a request?
 
on_the_hill said:
My question is about the people with psychiatric problems. How can a doctor know for sure that the patient is of sound mind when making such a request?
Click to expand...
He can’t. Doctors are not mind readers or infallible. Euthanasia is a cop out, often used instead of looking for ways to treat patients who have pain or depression.
Most pain and depression can be treated so that the patient is comfortable, and need not consider killing themselves.
If a person has psychiatric problems to the point of considering suicide, obviously he’s not of sound mind. Those are the last people who should be helped to suicide.
If you had been with Robin Williams his last night, would you have tried to persuade him of how much he would be missed, or tried to get him help? Or would you have helped him tie a knot?

_
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top