The controversial issue of euthanasia in patients with psychiatric illness
Abstract
This commentary discusses a study published in JAMA Psychiatry that investigated the characteristics of patients receiving euthanasia or assisted suicide for psychiatric conditions and how the practice is regulated in the Netherlands.
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Psychopathology does not automatically mean that a patient lacks mental capacity.
“Similarly, Olie and Courtet also note that “[p]sychopathology does not automatically mean that a patient lacks mental capacity” [3].”
From Is the exclusion of psychiatric patients from access to physician-assisted suicide discriminatory? (2019) · cites this paper as [3]
Cites
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Euthanasia and assisted suicide in psychiatric patients: A systematic review of the literature
Calati, R., Olié, E., Dassa, D., Gramaglia, C., Guillaume, S., Madeddu, F., & Courtet, P. (2021) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.12.006 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
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Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
Sprung, C. L., Somerville, M. A., Radbruch, L., Collet, N. S., Duttge, G., Piva, J. P., Antonelli, M. M., Sulmasy, D. P., Lemmens, W., & Ely, E. W. (2018) · Journal of Palliative Care · doi:10.1177/0825859718777325 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
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“In the ethical debate, however, many authors argue that it is impossible to reliably differentiate between patients who have a chance of recovery and those who do not.(9,11,13,17,26,28) Two reasons are often mentioned for questioning irremediability: the nature of psychiatric illness and the nature of psychiatric trea…”
BackgroundVerhofstadt, M., Pardon, K., Audenaert, K., Deliens, L., Mortier, F., Liégeois, A., & Chambaere, K. (2021) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.032 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
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Irremediability in psychiatric euthanasia: examining the objective standard
Nicolini, M. E., Jardas, E., Zarate, C. A., Gastmans, C., & Kim, S. Y. H. (2023) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291722002951 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“…2015; Cowley, 2013, 2015; Jansen, Wall, & Miller, 2019; Kelly, 2017; Kelly & McLoughlin, 2002; Kim & Lemmens, 2016; Kissane & Kelly, 2000; Miller, 2015; Naudts et al., 2006; Olié & Courtet, 2016; Schoevers, Asmus, & Van Tilburg, 1998; Simpson, 2018; Steinbock, 2017; Vandenberghe, 2011, 2018).”
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Self-citationGlannon, W. (2018) · doi:10.1093/med/9780198758853.001.0001 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Is the exclusion of psychiatric patients from access to physician-assisted suicide discriminatory?
Hatherley, J. J. (2019) · Journal of Medical Ethics · doi:10.1136/medethics-2019-105546 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Euthanasia – Review and update through the lens of a psychiatrist
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Dalfin, W., Guymard, M., Kieffer, P., & Kahn, J. P. (2021) · L Encéphale · doi:10.1016/j.encep.2021.04.013 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
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Wand, A. P. F., Peisah, C., Draper, B., Jones, C., & Brodaty, H. (2016) · Case Reports in Psychiatry · doi:10.1155/2016/4242064 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Nicolini, M. E., Gastmans, C., & Kim, S. Y. H. (2019) · The American Journal of Bioethics · doi:10.1080/15265161.2019.1659606 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
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Euthanasia and assisted suicide for psychiatric disorders
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Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)/Physician Aid in Dying (PAD) at the End of the Day
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Olié, E., & Courtet, P.
- Affiliations
- Department of Psychiatric Emergency and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Montpellier, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1061, Montpellier, France
- Inserm (FR)
- ORCID
- Courtet, Philippe
- Venue
- JAMA
- Publisher
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- Published
- 2016-08-09
- Volume
- 316
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 656
- ISSN
- 0002-9955 (ISSN-L)
- 0098-7484
- OpenAlex
- W2512963360
- Cited by
- 55
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 8.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- JAMA (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative and Oncologic Care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Keywords
- euthanasia, assisted suicide, mental illness, euthanasia legislation, Netherlands, end-of-life decisions
- MeSH terms
- Mental Disorders, Euthanasia, Humans, Suicide, Assisted
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