Difficult Issue of Assisted Dying in Canada Case Study.
In Spain it is easier to forget that adultery was illegal until the last quarter of the 20 th
century; or that in the US, where gay unions are permitted by 37 states and that the Country’s
Supreme Court may legalize gay marriages in all other states, the last anti- gay law was
abolished only in 2003. However, although most governments in the Western world no longer
attempt to stand in the way of how consenting adult individuals have sex, the government still
dictates individual choices about death (Barbuzzi, 2014). Increasingly, a wider section of
Populations in Western country view this regulation as wrong, while others hold the contrary
opinion. Difficult Issue of Assisted Dying in Canada Case Study.
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The debate over assisted dying with the help of a doctor at the moment depends on the
manner in which you choose to view it. At present only a handful of states in Europe, five US
states and Colombia allow some elements of doctor’s assisted dying. In Canada, the country’s
Supreme Court decriminalized doctor’s assisted dying in 2015 (Tomlinson & Stott, 2015). The
concept of assisted dying fills its opponents with dismay. For proponents, the idea of assisted
dying is absolute and moral. It is wrong to deliberately end the life of a human being for the
reason that life is sacred and that the dignity of life is conferred through enduring suffering. For
critics, the legitimization of assisted dying is a step towards a future in which the vulnerable will
be threatened and in which premature death will become a cheaper option to palliative care,
according to Barbuzzi (2014). Difficult Issue of Assisted Dying in Canada Case Study.
These contrasting views are held deeply and they deserve serious examination. But
autonomy and liberty are also considered as human dignity sources. Both contribute to a life’s
value. In today’s secular society, it is peculiar to buttress life’s sanctity in the abstract through
subjecting scores of individuals to unbearable suffering, misery and pain (Tomlinson & Stott, 2015). And empirical evidence from countries that have decriminalized assisted dying hints that
there is no inclination towards widespread cases of euthanasia.
One of the contentious issues that has been sparked by the legitimization of the right to
die in Canada is whether individuals with intolerable psychological conditions (or mental illness)
should be allowed to seek the help of a doctor to terminate their lives. During the Supreme Court
ruling on the issue in 2015, the court did not make any specific pronouncements with respect to
doctor’s assisted dying for individuals with intolerable psychological conditions and this has left
many experts in the mental health arena with the difficulty of interpreting the decision – and
what this could means for these vulnerable group of the Canadian populace. Difficult Issue of Assisted Dying in Canada Case Study.
Of critical concern is how to arrive at a decision about a request for euthanasia arises
from an individual with intolerable psychological disorder that is linked to their illness, severe
depression, for example, can result in suicide, or sound reasoning anchored on the desire to run
away from prolonged misery and suffering. Although suicide and assisted dying result in the
same result, their connotations vary significantly. When an individual contemplates suicide, he
or she often cannot articulate why he/ she want to dies or is depressed. The inability to find
pleasure even in lives’ positive aspects, lack of hope and a sense of worthlessness are all
depression’s hallmarks (Tomlinson & Stott, 2015). Difficult Issue of Assisted Dying in Canada Case Study.
Whether an individual has the ability to arrive at such a life-threatening decision – the
right for individuals with psychological conditions to make assisted dying decisions – also
requires evaluation, given the fact that psychological conditions can impair an individual’s
ability to process important information, can distort thinking and can impair the ability to
appreciate ramifications of a decision. This does not suggest, however, that individuals with intolerable psychological conditions lack capacity. There are a number of instances in which
individuals can still make all types of sound decisions, even if they are suffering from intolerable
psychological conditions. However, this is not often the case, an individual can have the ability
to make a single decision and at the same time lack the ability to make a decision about another
issue (Barbuzzi, 2014). Critics of assisted dying argue that individuals suffering from intolerable
psychological conditions do not have the capacity to make a reasonable decision with respect to
assisted dying (Hiscox, 2006).
It is crucial to note that individuals with intolerable psychological disorder always cannot
access treatment. A report released by the Canadian Mental Health Commission in 2012 showed
that 1 in every 3 adults and 1 in 4 children and youth were able to access psychological disorder
treatment (Malpas, et al. 2014). Annually, 1 in every 5 Canadians experiences intolerable
psychological disorder which costs the economy about $50 billion. In addition, of the 4000
annual suicide cases in Canada, experience some kind of psychological disorder (Malpas, et al.
2014). As a result, individuals may resort to euthanasia, not because there illness cannot be
supported or treated, but for the reason that they cannot access these support and treatment.
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Conclusively, debate on whether to allow individuals suffering from intolerable
psychological conditions to be eligible for assisted dying will continue to surround the Canadian
public today and in the near future. The Canadian Supreme Court did not provide a clear
decision with respect to allowing individuals with mental health to access doctor’s assisted dying
services and this has left many mental health experts with a dilemma. However, many critics
believe that it is wrong to allow individuals suffering from mental health to access assisted dying
since they are not in a position to make sound decisions. Difficult Issue of Assisted Dying in Canada Case Study.
References
Barbuzzi, M. (2014). Who Owns the Right to Die? An Argument about the Legal Status of
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide in Canada. Penn Bioethics Journal, 10(1), 16-20.
Hiscox, W. E. (2006). Dying Justice: A Case for Decriminalizing Euthanasia and Assisted
Suicide in Canada. Mcgill Law Journal, 51(4), 801-804. Difficult Issue of Assisted Dying in Canada Case Study.
Malpas, P. J., Wilson, M. K., Rae, N., & Johnson, M. (2014). Why do older people oppose
physician-assisted dying? A qualitative study. Palliative Medicine, 28(4), 353-359.
doi:10.1177/0269216313511284
Tomlinson, E., & Stott, J. (2015). Assisted dying in dementia: a systematic review of the
international literature on the attitudes of health professionals, patients, carers and the
public, and the factors associated with these. International Journal Of Geriatric
Psychiatry, 30(1), 10-20. doi:10.1002/gps.4169
Difficult Issue of Assisted Dying in Canada Case Study.