Is suicide prevention an absolute? Considerations when medical assistance in dying is an option

Résumé

Suicide prevention services do their utmost to prevent suicides with all persons, regardless of the suicidal individual’s characteristics and reasons given for wanting to die. In this context, the question "should we continue to strive to prevent all suicides, or are there some circumstances where we should abstain from preventing a death by suicide or even encourage people to seek medical assistance in dying (MAID)?" is addressed. To deprive people who meet the criteria for MAID of the opportunity to receive suicide prevention interventions by putting them in a category apart has no empirical or clinically reliable justification. Providing help to all without discrimination is not incompatible with respect for autonomous decision-making. Offering suicide prevention interventions to all provides an opportunity for some people who otherwise would have died prematurely to regain the will to live, regardless of their circumstances. PRÉVENTION SUICIDE-ASSISTÉ EUTHANASIE SUICIDOLOGIE ÉTHIQUE PRISE-DÉCISION CONCEPT-EUTHANASIE CONCEPT-SUICIDE