Euthanasia of a person with a psychiatric disorder does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights (Mortier v. Belgium [no. 78017/17])

For more than 20 years, euthanasia in Belgium and The Netherlands is allowed for unbearable suffering caused by terminal or non-terminal illnesses, including psychiatric disorders. Although euthanasia numbers have been increasing over the years, the percentage of cases involving people with a primary psychiatric diagnosis has remained stable (between 1 and 2%). For these cases, the Belgian and Dutch Euthanasia Laws operate similar due care criteria: a well-considered, repeated, and voluntary request from a legally competent adult; a medical condition without prospect of improvement; constant a... Mehr ...

Verfasser: M. De Hert
S. Loos
K. Van Assche
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2022
Reihe/Periodikum: European Psychiatry, Vol 65 (2022)
Verlag/Hrsg.: Cambridge University Press
Schlagwörter: MAID / Euthanasia / Medical Law / Medical ethics / Psychiatry / RC435-571
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-26613557
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2342

For more than 20 years, euthanasia in Belgium and The Netherlands is allowed for unbearable suffering caused by terminal or non-terminal illnesses, including psychiatric disorders. Although euthanasia numbers have been increasing over the years, the percentage of cases involving people with a primary psychiatric diagnosis has remained stable (between 1 and 2%). For these cases, the Belgian and Dutch Euthanasia Laws operate similar due care criteria: a well-considered, repeated, and voluntary request from a legally competent adult; a medical condition without prospect of improvement; constant and unbearable suffering that cannot be alleviated; consultation of two independent physicians, including a psychiatrist; and a posteriori evaluation and control [1–3].