SUICIDE-PREVENTION OR SUICIDE ASSISTANCE - PSYCHIATRIC ASPECTS OF PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE

The Dutch Supreme Court ruled that in exceptional instances, physician -assisted suicide might be justifiable for patients with unbearable me ntal suffering but no physical illness. A recent report shows that exp licit requests for physician-assisted suicide are not uncommon in psyc hiatric practice in the Netherlands. Some of those requests were grant ed and their medical background was described. Psychiatric consultatio n for medical patients who request physician-assisted suicide is relat ively rare. Therefore is seems to be necessary to establish better pal liative care for the terminally ill. When psychiatrists help their pat ients to commit suicide there is a danger of abuse and ''slippery slop e''. Like in holocaust psychiatric patients could be again the victims of active euthanasia!