Pages tagged "euthanasia for psychological suffering"
Physically healthy Dutch woman dies via euthanasia at age 29
Jan 30, 2018
Aurelia Brouwers died via euthanasia in her Netherlands home last week at the age of 29. She had suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder and other mental illness, but was physically healthy. Despite initial promises that only those with terminal illnesses who were mentally capable of making the decision would be eligible for euthanasia, The Netherlands now grants euthanasia for those suffering from mental illness: about 1 in 11 requests for euthanasia on psychological grounds only is granted.
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What Boudewijn Chabot can teach Victoria
Jun 26, 2017
by Paul Russell:
Dr. Boudewijn Chabot is a retired Dutch psychiatrist and psychotherapist. In 1993 he was charged with having assisted in the suicide of a healthy 50-year-old Dutch woman, Hilly Bosscher, in 1991. Bosscher had lost two sons in the previous five years; six months apart. One had committed suicide; the other had died of cancer. Both were in their early twenties. Her grief did not abate; she wanted to die and to 'to lie in between the graves of her two sons'.
The Independent reported at the time that:
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Psychiatric euthanasia: salvos across the Atlantic
Dec 23, 2016
The development of the idea and then the availability of euthanasia for psychiatric reasons is something that few people, if any, could have foreseen when Belgium and Holland passed their laws in 2001 and 2002 or when the short-lived law existed in the Northern Territory of Australia in the mid 1990s. Certainly, commentary existed regarding concerns of competency (capacity) and the presence of depression etc. in people requesting euthanasia - where psychiatry had a legitimate role; but this was always in the context of assessment of a person who 'qualified' or was eligible for euthanasia by virtue of other criteria (such as a terminal illness or the presence of 'untreatable' or 'incurable and irreversible' suffering due to illness or injury). It was never that the 'illness' was itself psychological in nature.The Belgian act of 2002 states that:
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Canada: Euthanasia for minors, for mental health reasons and via directives may now be on the table.
Dec 22, 2016
The debate on 'Medical Assistance in Dying' or MAiD in Canada in the spring of 2016 could not be said to be a shining moment in Canada's legislative history. Responding to the Canadian Supreme Court decision in January 2016 , the Parliament was somewhat hamstrung by that decision in as much as it provided a deadline for legislative reform, in line with the Court decision, by June of that year.The Parliament was further constrained by a Canadian Constitutional idiocy that does not allow the Ottawa Parliament to override the Court decision by amendment to the law so as to render the judgement inoperable or to limit its remit.
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Euthanasia for purely psychological suffering: reflections on the Belgian report.
Nov 11, 2016
Article first appeared in De Morgen (rendered from the Dutch via google translate) Authors: Ariane Bazan is Professor of Clinical Psychology (ULB), Willem Lemmens (pictured) Professor of Ethics and Modern Philosophy (UA) and Gertrudis Van de Vijver professor of Modern and Contemporary Philosophy (University of Ghent).Beginning in 2016, supported by some 65 experts, we called for policy-makers to revise the law on euthanasia on one point: purely psychological suffering would no ground may be more to accede to a request for euthanasia.
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Belgian Psychiatric euthanasia request based on sexual attraction.
Jun 10, 2016
Alex Schadenberg International Chair - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition BBC News has reported that a Belgium man, known as Sébastien, is seeking euthanasia based on psychological suffering in order to end his struggle with his sexual attractions.The BBC article by Jonathon Blake explains that in Belgium, euthanasia for psychological suffering requires three doctors to approve the act (one of the doctors should be a psychiatrist), The law says that they must be suffering incurable, constant and unbearable physical or psychological suffering. The article states:
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Woman, in the 20's, who was sexually abused, dies by euthanasia in the Netherlands.
May 16, 2016
by Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. With Paul Russell The 2015 Netherlands euthanasia report that was recently released states that there were 5561 reported euthanasia deaths in 2015, up from 5306 in 2014, there were 109 reported euthanasia deaths for dementia, up from 81 in 2014, and there were 56 reported euthanasia deaths for psychiatric reasons, up from 41 in 2014.Shockingly, a woman who died by euthanasia for psychiatric reasons in 2015 was in her 20's and had been sexually abused.
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Concerns with euthanasia for psychiatric reasons in the Netherlands
Feb 22, 2016
By Alex Schadenberg Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition The journal JAMA Psychiatry recently published a study on February 10, 2016 examining euthanasia for psychiatric reasons in the Netherlands by researchers Scott Y. H. Kim, MD, PhD; Raymond G. De Vries, PhD; John R. Peteet, MD.The study examined 66 cases of euthanasia for psychiatric reasons between 2011 and 2014. The data for this study was provided by the Netherlands Regional Review Committee.
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Distelmans' 'bait and switch' as calls for 'dialogue' in Belgium continue to grow
Dec 15, 2015
Distelmans' 'bait and switch' as calls for 'dialogue' in Belgium continue to grow by Paul Russell: 'But let us into the debates play the ball instead of the man.' Says Dr Wim Distlemans in De Morgen in reply to Professor Theo Boers' observations in yesterday's Belgian press about the bungled operation of the Belgian Euthanasia Review Commission under Distelmans' leadership.
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Belgium and the 'ideological ostrich'
Dec 14, 2015
Belgian MP calls for a review of the euthanasia law The open letter from medical professionals critical of the application of the Belgian law on euthanasia to people suffering psychologically has re-ignited debate on the safety and practice of the 2002 law.Following the letter, Christian Democrat MP, Els Van Hoof, raises significant further questions in the Belgian journal Knack. Van Hoof is severely critical of the development of the Belgian law and the amendment to include children in 2013 when, at no time over the more than a dozen years of operation has the law been formally reviewed.
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