Treatment-resistant major depressive disorder and assisted dying: response to comments

Schüklenk, Udo; Vathorst, Suzanne van de

doi:10.1136/medethics-2015-102966

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Some have been unimpressed with this observation. ‘It is in nobody’s interest that patients (have to) resort to starving themselves to death, jumping off buildings or resorting to any number of more or less gruesome means to bring about their deaths’ 20. We agree about the desirability of avoiding the gruesome means, but the option to stop eating and drinking can be a tolerable alternative to PAD, one that is available as a legally protected option in most of the legal jurisdictions that we are concerned with xvii …”

Section: Group Paternalism and Fairnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drawing the line on physician-assisted death

2018

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Drawing the line on physician assistance in physician-assisted death (PAD) continues to be a contentious issue in many legal jurisdictions across the USA, Canada and Europe. PAD is a medical practice that occurs when physicians either prescribe or administer lethal medication to their patients. As more legal jurisdictions establish PAD for at least some class of patients, the question of the proper scope of this practice has become pressing. This paper presents an argument for restricting PAD to the terminally ill that can be accepted by defenders as well as critics of PAD for the terminally ill. The argument appeals to fairness-based paternalism and the social meaning of medical practice. These two considerations interact in various ways, as the paper explains. The right way to think about the social meaning of medical practice bears on fair paternalism as it relates to PAD and vice versa. The paper contends that these considerations have substantial force when directed against proposals to extend PAD to non-terminally ill patients, but considerably less force when directed against PAD for the terminally ill. The paper pays special attention to the case of non-terminally ill patients who suffer from treatment-resistant depression, as these patients present a potentially strong case for extending PAD beyond the terminally ill.

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Section: Group Paternalism and Fairnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drawing the line on physician-assisted death

2018

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“…This would also include ‘a change in therapist or therapeutic strategy, an intervention by a friend or loved one, or some environmental change such as a residential program’. We have addressed the patient-related issues pertaining to this argument both in our original paper as well as in our response to the initially received comments 2 3. What is different in Dr Miller's argument about a possible recovery is that it is not patient centred 3 4.…”

Section: Proper Goals Of Medicinementioning

confidence: 96%

“…We have already addressed some of the problems with this view in our reply to the comments received in response to our original article 3. There is an important pragmatic issue attached to this.…”

Section: Right To Die?mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…We have addressed the patient-related issues pertaining to this argument both in our original paper as well as in our response to the initially received comments 2 3. What is different in Dr Miller's argument about a possible recovery is that it is not patient centred 3 4. The point of contention is not whether or not the patient's situation is hopeless, or whether patients can make informed choices given remaining uncertainties, rather, it is to do with what constitutes a given medical professional's appropriate response, in view of these uncertainties.…”

Section: Proper Goals Of Medicinementioning

confidence: 99%

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Physician-assisted death does not violate professional integrity

Schüklenk

Vathorst

2015

J Med Ethics

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“…As Schuklenk and Van de Vathorst have stated, 'Erring on the side of caution… would imply also to let a fair number of patients suffer.' 8 All of these arguments are particularly applicable to the context of patients who are terminally ill and wish to access assisted suicide, for two main reasons. First, their autonomy should be respected; most such patients are no more likely to be incompetent than other patients of a similar age (in contrast, those who seek suicide in the absence of terminal illness raise more concerns regarding autonomy).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%