Pros and Cons of Physician Aid in Dying

This article contrasts both sides of Physician Aid in Dying (AID) by displaying
arguments that support this procedure as a valid and safe option for ill people and
arguments that oppose this practice manifesting that it is the same as suicide, no
matter the motive.

Relief from suffering, respect for patient autonomy, and Medical Assistance in
Dying (MAiD) as a safe medical practice are well-supported arguments defending
this controversial procedure. As stated by Dugdale, Lerner, and Callahan (2019),
autonomy in the health care setting often extends to deciding not only how you want
to live, but also how you choose to die. New interpretations of the Hippocratic Oath
establish “If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my
power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great
humbleness and awareness of my own frailty” (Brazier, 2018), so one can say that it
is considered to be a safe medical practice with a modern approach which respects
somebody’s autonomy, aiming to relieve suffering from terminal illnesses.

However, there will always be two sides of an issue. The author states how
people oppose to MAiD considering suicide contagion, slippery slope, and
depression in advanced illnesses as factors that contrarrest the positive aspects of
this medical practice. It suggests that high-profile MAiD causes more MAiD, yet no
increase of non-assisted suicide. Others manifest that there is no coming back from
doctors who precipitate patients’ death; only 25.7% of patients choose MAiD
because of intense pain concern, and it is kind of contradictory since MAiD is mostly
defended by means of suffering relief. Also, many people oppose this procedure
contemplating that “fewer than five percent (of patients with terminal illnesses) are
referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist to rule out clinical depression” (Dugdale,
Lerner, and Callahan, 2019).

I do agree with one’s right to have a choice on whether we want to live or die;
however, I considered mental health before taking a stance on the pro side.
According to Simpson (2017), a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand
College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP), medical assistance in dying should be an
option for people with terminal illnesses and people physically incapable of
committing suicide, not for people with serious mental health illnesses, such as
severe depression. In addition, less than 50% of people around the world dealing
with depression receive treatment, as it is stated by the World Health Organization
(n.d.). I also support my stance on this topic based on Whiteman’s article (2015), in
which a survey published in the Journal of Medical Ethics found out that around 85%
Dutch doctors would consider helping a patient die if they had cancer or another
physical disease. However, they found that 34% of doctors would help a patient with
a mental illness die. Taking into account these facts, I believe patients should
contemplate MAiD after seeking psychiatric assistance. It may sound as avoiding the
inevitable, but if there is a chance of getting mentally better, one should reconsider
ending one’s life.
 List of References

Brazier, Y. (2018, December 17). What Are Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide?
MedicalNewsToday. Retrieved from:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/182951

Dugdale, L., Lerner, B., Callahan, D. (2019). Pros and Cons of Physician Aid in
Dying. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 92(4), 747-750. Retrieved from:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H913fLelzf2cABn0nQZRVejNlDbBFA5W/view\

Simpson, A. (2017). Medical Assistance in Dying and Mental Health: A Legal,

Ethical, and Clinical Analysis. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(2), 80-84.
Retrieved from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0706743717746662

Whiteman, H. (2015, February 15). One Third of Doctors 'Would Consider Assisted
Death' for Dementia Patients. MedicalNewsToday. Retrieved from:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/289546

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Depression. Retrieved from:

https://www.who.int/health-topics/depression#tab=tab_1