Citation

Csef H. Nervenheilkd. 1998; 17(3): 135-142.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Georg Thieme Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Dutch Supreme Court ruled that in exceptional instances, physician- assisted suicide might be justifiable for patients with unbearable mental suffering but no physical illness. A recent report shows that explicit requests for physician-assisted suicide are not uncommon in psychiatric practice in the Netherlands. Some of those requests were granted and their medical background was described. Psychiatric consultation for medical patients who request physician-assisted suicide is relatively rare. Therefore is seems to be necessary to establish better palliative care for the terminally ill. When psychiatrists help their patients to commit suicide there is a danger of abuse and 'slippery slope'. Like in holocaust psychiatric patients could be again the victims of active euthanasia!.

Language: de

Keywords

Active euthanasia; court; depression; doctor patient relation; euthanasia; forensic psychiatry; human; medical ethics; medicolegal aspect; netherlands; Palliative care; physician; Physician-assisted suicide; review; Slippery slope; suicide