Switzerland: Allowing patients with severe mental illness to commit suicide with the help of a doctor

Release date: 2007-02-08

Switzerland: Allowing patients with severe mental illness to commit suicide with the help of a doctor
A recent ruling by the Swiss Supreme Court has allowed those who suffer from serious mental illness to end their lives with the help of a doctor.

Switzerland has allowed doctors to assist in the euthanasia of terminally ill patients in specific situations. The Swiss Supreme Court issued a new ruling on Friday that lists psychiatric patients as the same level of terminally ill patients. The ruling said: "We must admit that a long-term serious mental illness can cause pain like other diseases. It will make patients feel unbearable for a long time."

The ruling also stated: "If a mental patient decides to seek death after considering all the circumstances, they can get a prescription for sodium pentobarbital prescribed by a doctor to commit suicide with assistance. ”

There are several organizations in Switzerland that help people commit suicide. Under Swiss law, it is not guilty to assist others to commit suicide as long as they do not involve “selfish motives”. In making the latest ruling, the judge said that the requirement for a mentally ill to seek death must be consistent with certain circumstances before it can be considered reasonable. They said: "We must distinguish between the requirements for death that can be cured, the mentally ill patients who need treatment, and the permanent demands made by those with clear minds after careful consideration. Such requirements must be respected."

The ruling is based on the case of a 53-year-old man. The man developed a severe two-way affective disorder and asked the court to get him a poison without a doctor's prescription. The court overturned his request and ruled that he must undergo thorough testing to allow the doctor to determine his exact condition.

It is unclear whether Swiss doctors are willing to assist mental patients in euthanasia. Switzerland is one of the European countries that allows end-stage patients to be euthanized.

It is understood that the Netherlands legalized euthanasia in 2001, and Belgium also made the same ruling in 2002. The UK and France allow end-stage patients to refuse treatment. (中新网)