Euthanasia for mental suffering

Résumé

The ethical (un)acceptability of euthanasia for severe physical suffering is undoubtedly one of the most controversial topics of our time. Perhaps even more controversial is die debate on whether euthanasia could also be justified for cases of mental suffering, which we understand as suffering without an underlying diagnosable condition or cause. Various widely debated cases from The Netherlands and Belgium have made this issue more than just a philosophical exercise. In this chapter we look into the ethical aspects of seeing mental suffering as a possibly allowable indication for euthanasia. First, we clarify the important concepts—such as 'physical suffering', 'psychological suffering', and 'mental suffering'—that are used throughout this chapter. Next we focus on the following key question: can one consistently claim a right to request euthanasia for patients with diagnosable physical or psychological sources of suffering, while denying the same right to patients with mental suffering without medical diagnosis? We do so by identifying various reasons that could be given to justify why mental suffering is relevantly different from physical or psychological suffering. We will discuss the claims that mental suffering should be seen as special as it: (1) diminishes a person's competence; (2) is a different type of suffering; (3) is undiagnosable; and (4) can never be proven to be incurable. We conclude with two important reasons to remain cautious about allowing euthanasia in cases of mental suffering. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved) EUTHANASIE DÉTRESSE-PSYCHOLOGIQUE SOUFFRANCE-PSYCHOLOGIQUE