Assisted Suicide

If I have a client who is actively suicidal, I by training, I'm going to try to keep them alive. And yet, what say do we actually have and whether someone continues to live? There's laws that prevent it. This doesn't seem to be one where you can just kind of pick the middle.

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Medical Assistance in Death (MAiD) in Canada: Mental Illness and Assisted Suicide

Curt and Katie chat about assisted suicide related to an upcoming expansion of the MAiD laws in Canada to include mental illness. We discuss what these laws seems to say as well as how they might impact patients, medical providers, and therapists. We explore the moral and ethical questions as well as what other countries have done to put in further safeguards to protect patients and doctors.

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode we talk about the expansion of Medical Assistance in Death laws in Canada

We have been watching the MAiD laws in Canada that are soon going to include assistance in death for folks with mental illness. We talk about the law and the concerns we have related to the safeguards (or lack of safeguards).

What are the updates coming to the Medical Assistance in Death laws in Canada?

With the approval of 2 medical professionals and a 24-month waiting period (for psychological illness), individuals can get medication or an injection from a medical provider to end their lives
Requirements for application include chronic, “grievous and irremediable” conditions
Information on requirements are here: Final Report of the Expert Panel on MAiD and Mental Illness
The differences in laws in other countries that seem to have more safeguards in place

What are the moral and ethical questions facing medical and mental health providers?

“Do we have the right – the moral right – as therapists, mental health professionals of any sort of background or license, to tell clients that they must live or that it is okay for them to end their life?” – Curt Widhalm, LMFT

What responsibilities do mental health providers have to their clients related to end of life?
Who will be negatively impacted versus who will be positively impacted?
Who would qualify and who would seek out assistance in dying?

“I'm not worried that someone that's a little depressed is going to decide they want to die by suicide… I think it's more that there are going to be folks [diagnosed with serious mental illness who are receiving insufficient mental health care] … who really don't feel like they have options (and maybe they don't) and they choose to die by suicide versus advocating for stronger treatment.” – Katie Vernoy, LMFT

What is mental illness? Is it only what is in the ICD or DSM?
What are the impacts of these laws on physicians?
Concerns raised by First Nations groups in Canada

Resources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode:

We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance!

Final Report of the Expert Panel on MAiD and Mental Illness

NY Times: Is Choosing Death Too Easy in Canada?

Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: Too Much, Too Fast?

Canadian and Dutch doctors’ roles in assistance in dying

Relevant Episodes of MTSG Podcast:

Part 1: Risk Factors for Suicide: What therapists should know when treating teens and adults

Part 2: What Therapists Should Actually Do for Suicidal Clients: Assessment, safety planning, and least intrusive intervention

What's new in the DSM 5-T-R? An interview with Dr. Michael B. First

When Clients Die: An interview with Debi Frankle, LMFT

Therapists Struggling with Darkness

Suicidal Therapists: An interview with Norine Vander Hooven, LCSW

Therapist Suicide