Rational Suicide, Euthanasia, and the Very Old: Two Case Reports
Suicide amongst the very old is an important public health issue. Little is known about why older people may express a wish to die or request euthanasia and how such thoughts may intersect with suicide attempts. Palliative care models promote best care as holistic and relieving suffering without has...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Case Reports in Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4242064 |
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| author | Anne Pamela Frances Wand Carmelle Peisah Brian Draper Carolyn Jones Henry Brodaty |
| author_facet | Anne Pamela Frances Wand Carmelle Peisah Brian Draper Carolyn Jones Henry Brodaty |
| author_sort | Anne Pamela Frances Wand |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Suicide amongst the very old is an important public health issue. Little is known about why older people may express a wish to die or request euthanasia and how such thoughts may intersect with suicide attempts. Palliative care models promote best care as holistic and relieving suffering without hastening death in severely ill patients; but what of those old people who are tired of living and may have chronic symptoms, disability, and reduced quality of life? Two cases of older people who attempted suicide but expressed a preference for euthanasia were it legal are presented in order to illustrate the complexity underlying such requests. The absence of a mood or anxiety disorder underpinning their wishes to die further emphasises the importance of understanding the individual’s narrative and the role of a formulation in guiding broad biopsychosocial approaches to management. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8c251b4c174e4da98e72e7fd1c55c88f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-682X 2090-6838 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Reports in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-8c251b4c174e4da98e72e7fd1c55c88f2025-02-03T01:22:35ZengWileyCase Reports in Psychiatry2090-682X2090-68382016-01-01201610.1155/2016/42420644242064Rational Suicide, Euthanasia, and the Very Old: Two Case ReportsAnne Pamela Frances Wand0Carmelle Peisah1Brian Draper2Carolyn Jones3Henry Brodaty4Older Persons’ Mental Health Service, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, AustraliaSchool of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaAcademic Department for Aged Care Psychiatry, Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service, Randwick, NSW, AustraliaOlder Persons’ Mental Health Service, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, AustraliaDementia Collaborative Research Centre and Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaSuicide amongst the very old is an important public health issue. Little is known about why older people may express a wish to die or request euthanasia and how such thoughts may intersect with suicide attempts. Palliative care models promote best care as holistic and relieving suffering without hastening death in severely ill patients; but what of those old people who are tired of living and may have chronic symptoms, disability, and reduced quality of life? Two cases of older people who attempted suicide but expressed a preference for euthanasia were it legal are presented in order to illustrate the complexity underlying such requests. The absence of a mood or anxiety disorder underpinning their wishes to die further emphasises the importance of understanding the individual’s narrative and the role of a formulation in guiding broad biopsychosocial approaches to management.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4242064 |
| spellingShingle | Anne Pamela Frances Wand Carmelle Peisah Brian Draper Carolyn Jones Henry Brodaty Rational Suicide, Euthanasia, and the Very Old: Two Case Reports Case Reports in Psychiatry |
| title | Rational Suicide, Euthanasia, and the Very Old: Two Case Reports |
| title_full | Rational Suicide, Euthanasia, and the Very Old: Two Case Reports |
| title_fullStr | Rational Suicide, Euthanasia, and the Very Old: Two Case Reports |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rational Suicide, Euthanasia, and the Very Old: Two Case Reports |
| title_short | Rational Suicide, Euthanasia, and the Very Old: Two Case Reports |
| title_sort | rational suicide euthanasia and the very old two case reports |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4242064 |
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