Resource Tag: TERMINAL ILLNESSES

In this article, the author provides a case scenario concerning the counseling of a client whose family member is planning suicide, followed by a discussion of pertinent legal & ethical issues. (25 refs)

For the original position paper by L Snyder & D Sulmasy, please see SIEC #2004-1133

The authors surveyed 50 caregivers of decedent amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients from Oregon & Washington regarding perceptions of patients’ interest in assisted suicide & their physical & emotional state in the last month of life. According to the respondents, one-third of ALS patients discussed wanting assisted suicide in the last month of life, & […]

This article represents a Jewish contribution to the “right-to-die” debate that currently characterizes medical ethics, & explores whether Judaism recognizes a right to die. 4 major Jewish assumptions regarding the nature of life & death form the foundation of the author’s argument that Judaism rejects a right to die & supports the prolonging of life […]

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For various responses to this article, please see SIEC #2003-0242, #2004-0859, & #2005-0583

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For the original article by P Bascom & S Tolle, please see SIEC #2004-0858. For related commentaries, please see #2003-0242 & #2005-0583

This chapter clearly & categorically refutes the claims about assisted suicide & euthanasia that are seen almost constantly in the press. The authors review nine of the most common & most compelling arguments for legalizing physician-assisted suicide & demonstrate why these arguments are unpersuasive or misleading.

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This chapter attempts to outline some of the critical psychological considerations & the research literature that inform society’s current understanding of the difference between a wish to die, the waning of the will to live, & depression in patients nearing death.

For a related article, please see SIEC #2004-1056

The authors aimed to assess the relation between spiritual well-being, depression, & end-of-life despair in terminally-ill cancer patients. Significant correlations were found between spiritual well-being & desire for hastened death, hopelessness, & suicidal ideation. The authors conclude that spiritual well-being offers some protection against end-of-life despair in those for whom death is imminent. Implications of […]

These letters to the editor address various issues associated with the care of the dying. Issues such as candid communication about death, palliative care, & ideas regarding a good death are discussed. (SC)

This article describes the issue of physician-assisted suicide in relation to the Supreme Court, which in June 1997, decided that statutes proscribing physicians from providing lethal medication for use by competent, terminally ill patients do not violate the Due Process or Equal Protection Clauses of the Constitution. The authors argue that the Court returned the […]

This article reports the defeat in 1992 of Proposition 161, also known as the “death with dignity act”, that would have allowed California physicians to legally prescribe drugs to terminally ill patients wishing to end their lives. Arguments posed by both supporters & opponents of the proposition are discussed.

This chapter provides an overview of the current issues surrounding hastened death. The prevalence of this practice & the attitudes of mental health professionals towards it are discussed. Key mental health issues, legal & ethical issues associated are also explored. A checklist of criteria for hastened or assisted dying is provided & suggestions for practice […]

In this article, the author presents his arguments in favor of euthanasia & physician assisted suicide. At the centre of his argument he focuses on the role of hospice care, contrasting the values of this field from the values of acute medical care. He discusses how end-of-life decisions could be better integrated into hospice care […]

The authors analyzed the amount & breadth of coverage given to topics related to death & dying in 28 introductory psychology textbooks published between 1995 & 2000. All included some information about death & dying, with suicide being the most most frequently addressed topic. The authors recommend that future textbooks include information to help students […]

The authors conducted a survey of 100 patients with terminal cancer in order to assess whether their attitudes about euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide (PAS) were determined by their symptomatic distress. Most patients (69%) supported euthanasia or PAS for one or more situations. The association between these attitudes & symptoms was weak. Agreement with euthanasia was significantly related […]

This chapter argues that it is legally inconsistent to honor a terminally ill patient’s request for removal of life support equipment, but deny a similarly situated patient’s request for an immediate & painless death merely because a second party’s active assistance is needed. The author also argues that imposing legal sanctions on an involved second […]

This article explores the relation between spiritual beliefs & resolution of bereavement. 135 participants were followed for 14 months after the death of a family member or friend that had a terminal illness. The article reports that people who had no spiritual belief had not resolved their grief by the 14 months after the death. […]

This article presents the Alaska Supreme Court ruling that denied that the state’s constititution’s gurarantees of privacy & liberty implied a right to physician-assisted suicide. Several similar American legal judgments are presented & discussed. (SC)