Choosing to die with the help or by the hand of a doctor (medically-assisted death): Limitations and safety profiles

Background and Aim of Study: Depression severity can be profoundly impacting the life of individuals, while its persistence can provoke the conviction that recovery is unattainable. One of the extreme consequences is the request for euthanasia. However, during major depression cognition can be...

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Main Authors: F. Cembrani, D. De Leo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Kharkiv Regional Public Organization “Culture of Health” 2024-06-01
Series:International Journal of Science Annals
Online Access:https://ijsa.culturehealth.org/index.php/en/archiv/previous-issues-ijsa/208-volume-7-1-2024-01
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author F. Cembrani
D. De Leo
author_facet F. Cembrani
D. De Leo
author_sort F. Cembrani
collection DOAJ
description Background and Aim of Study: Depression severity can be profoundly impacting the life of individuals, while its persistence can provoke the conviction that recovery is unattainable. One of the extreme consequences is the request for euthanasia. However, during major depression cognition can be significantly impaired. In this study, we comment on the exemplar case of a Belgian lady, Mrs. Godelieva de Troyer, who made that request and obtained the desired outcome. The aim of the study: to consider a specific case of a patient with major depressive disorder and the role of doctors in informing the decision about medically assisted death. Material and Methods: The history of the request made by Mrs. Godelieva is described. The procedure was followed by the reactive initiatives of the son of the lady, who made a formal complaint against the procedure that brought his mother to death and appealed the European Court of Justice. Results: A description of what happened is briefly reported, including considerations on the clinical treatments received by Mrs. Godelieva, the roles interpreted by the doctors she consulted and, finally, the appropriateness of the decision taken. Conclusions: In revisiting this case, the decision-making process during major depression episodes and the authenticity and robustness of end-of-life choices in similar cases are critically examined. Comments are made on the frequency of cognitive impairments during major depressive episodes and the need to provide depressed people the necessary support during their important choices.
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language English
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publisher Kharkiv Regional Public Organization “Culture of Health”
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spelling doaj-art-42f6904c68bf4d6f82ab829063ff558c2025-01-23T23:03:42ZengKharkiv Regional Public Organization “Culture of Health”International Journal of Science Annals2617-26822707-36372024-06-0171606810.26697/ijsa.2024.1.1Choosing to die with the help or by the hand of a doctor (medically-assisted death): Limitations and safety profilesF. Cembranihttps://orcid.org/0009-0007-6214-6557D. De Leohttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8255-6480 Background and Aim of Study: Depression severity can be profoundly impacting the life of individuals, while its persistence can provoke the conviction that recovery is unattainable. One of the extreme consequences is the request for euthanasia. However, during major depression cognition can be significantly impaired. In this study, we comment on the exemplar case of a Belgian lady, Mrs. Godelieva de Troyer, who made that request and obtained the desired outcome. The aim of the study: to consider a specific case of a patient with major depressive disorder and the role of doctors in informing the decision about medically assisted death. Material and Methods: The history of the request made by Mrs. Godelieva is described. The procedure was followed by the reactive initiatives of the son of the lady, who made a formal complaint against the procedure that brought his mother to death and appealed the European Court of Justice. Results: A description of what happened is briefly reported, including considerations on the clinical treatments received by Mrs. Godelieva, the roles interpreted by the doctors she consulted and, finally, the appropriateness of the decision taken. Conclusions: In revisiting this case, the decision-making process during major depression episodes and the authenticity and robustness of end-of-life choices in similar cases are critically examined. Comments are made on the frequency of cognitive impairments during major depressive episodes and the need to provide depressed people the necessary support during their important choices.https://ijsa.culturehealth.org/index.php/en/archiv/previous-issues-ijsa/208-volume-7-1-2024-01
spellingShingle F. Cembrani
D. De Leo
Choosing to die with the help or by the hand of a doctor (medically-assisted death): Limitations and safety profiles
International Journal of Science Annals
title Choosing to die with the help or by the hand of a doctor (medically-assisted death): Limitations and safety profiles
title_full Choosing to die with the help or by the hand of a doctor (medically-assisted death): Limitations and safety profiles
title_fullStr Choosing to die with the help or by the hand of a doctor (medically-assisted death): Limitations and safety profiles
title_full_unstemmed Choosing to die with the help or by the hand of a doctor (medically-assisted death): Limitations and safety profiles
title_short Choosing to die with the help or by the hand of a doctor (medically-assisted death): Limitations and safety profiles
title_sort choosing to die with the help or by the hand of a doctor medically assisted death limitations and safety profiles
url https://ijsa.culturehealth.org/index.php/en/archiv/previous-issues-ijsa/208-volume-7-1-2024-01
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