Introduction
Each person is free to choose whether or not to live their final days. For Canadians whose medical illness is a mental condition, it should be their personal decision whether to seek medical assistance in dying (MAID). Although there is controversy surrounding this ethical and legal matter, a utilitarian framework offers a valuable foundation to assess this particular scenario. In this essay, I will discuss the pros and cons of permitting MAID for mental illness from a utilitarian standpoint and make the case that it ought to be permitted.
Overview of MAID
MAID is the act of taking a patient’s life who has a severe and incurable medical condition. To be eligible for MAID, a person must be 18 years or older and mentally competent, which means they can make their own healthcare decisions (Garneau & Yonah, 2023). Additionally, the person must be able to receive health treatment paid for by the federal government or a province or territory and provide informed permission.
Overview of Utilitarian Theory
Utilitarian theory can be helpful when examining moral decisions. The approach has a philosophical perspective known as utilitarianism that supports maximizing the overall happiness or pleasure of everyone impacted by a particular action (Collier & Haliburton, 2015; Dimmock al., 2020). According to utilitarianism, MAID should be allowed since it would give people an excellent option to end their suffering as long as the number of individuals who gain from it outweighs those who do not.
Pros
First and foremost, since it supports the right to autonomy, allowing Canadians with solely a mental illness or disorder to be eligible for MAID is ethically acceptable. Those who suffer from mental health conditions like depression and anxiety suffer severe physical and emotional suffering; thus, they should have the freedom to decide how they want to spend the rest of their lives. Allowing MAID in this situation is a way to uphold the right to autonomy and let people lead their lives rather than having their incurable disease control them (Downie, 2022; Khawaja & Khawaja, 2021; Koocher et al., 2023).
Moreover, granting access to MAID to Canadians with mental diseases or disorders is a means to acknowledge their fundamental worth and dignity. Notwithstanding the widespread stigma associated with mental illness, those affected are entitled to respect and decency. People can be respected for their decisions, despite the challenging conditions of their disease, by allowing MAID for Canadians with mental illnesses.
It is morally acceptable to grant MAID eligibility to Canadians who merely have a mental disease because doing so stresses the value of empathy and understanding. Those who struggle with mental health disorders frequently feel alone, so when they cannot find comfort despite their best efforts, society should be prepared to give them the end-of-life care they want (Frolic et al., 2022; Smolej et al., 2022). Enabling MAID in this situation is a way to acknowledge the difficulties associated with mental health problems and show them the respect and understanding they genuinely deserve.
Providing MAID to Canadians with mental health illnesses can enhance their quality of life and healthcare outcomes. In circumstances where conventional medications and treatments have failed, it can give people a better sense of control over their symptoms and prognosis. Numerous people suffer due to stigmatization, underdiagnosis, and inadequate treatment of mental health illnesses. Enabling MAID in these circumstances is a means to increase awareness of the value of mental health and the demand for more financial support for mental health care.
Crippling mental problems and illnesses typically come with exorbitant treatment costs and no recovery assurance. MAID is not free; however, it may be asserted that the expense of MAID is less than that of potentially lengthy hospital visits or even a lifetime of medical treatment. Furthermore, by giving people the option of MAID, they can select the manner and moment of their death, which is congruent with their individuality (Collier & Haliburton, 2015).
Society and individuals can save money on healthcare by giving people the choice of MAID. Healthcare cost savings can be directed to infrastructure improvements and mental health services. This is advantageous to the general populace and may produce a more comprehensive net benefit than if MAID were not made an option.
Allowing Canadians with mental disease access to MAID is a moral act since it will enable doctors to treat all their patients as effectively as possible. Clinicians will be aware that they are acting ethically concerning the care of their patients by granting mentally ill clients access to MAID (Pesut et al., 2021). Additionally, they will be encouraging patients to be upfront and honest about their mental health difficulties to receive the care they require by taking their patients’ mental health into mind. By allowing access to MAID for their mentally ill, clinicians will prioritize the patient’s right to select the therapies most suitable for their health and overall needs.
Providing access to MAID to Canadians with only a mental illness may reduce the suicide rates among people with mental health problems. Debilitating mental diseases like depression and anxiety can cause extreme misery; for some people, suicide is the only way to end the agony (Garneau & Yonah, 2023). MAID might provide an empathetic and considerate option that could save a life. As a result, those who have seriously pondered suicide may no longer feel guilty or ashamed about it because it will be acknowledged as an honest, understandable choice for those with mental problems.
Cons
Abuse is the most apparent disadvantage of permitting MAID for the mentally ill. Enabling MAID with any diagnosis allows people to choose death for factors other than medical need, such as pressure from their families or financial situation (Khawaja & Khawaja, 2021). Tragic consequences may result, such as patients choosing suicide out of necessity rather than their own free will. MAID can also coerce someone into taking their own life by applying pressure on them. This might be particularly problematic when a patient has a mental disorder that makes them more susceptible to the influence of another.
The usage of MAID raises the possibility that medical professionals would be less likely to treat mental health disorders as seriously as physical ones. It could cause individuals to believe that mental health issues are not as important as physical problems and that death might be the only way to get well. As a result of their perception that their only option is death, patients may be discouraged from seeking treatment for mental health conditions. Furthermore, it could erode the patient’s confidence in their ability to recover and trust their doctor.
Furthermore, whether MAID is the ideal method for assisting mentally ill individuals is controversial. It may replace more successful therapies, such as psychotherapy or medication (Collier & Haliburton, 2015). It can cause people to choose an instant fix over getting support for underlying problems.
Long-term, this could worsen the situation and increase the frequency of suicides in Canada while negatively affecting the quality of life for people with mental health issues (Zortea et al., 2021). MAID can also reduce the availability of resources for mental health care because the money that could be utilized to support individuals in need instead goes toward paying for medically assisted dying.
Due to ethical considerations, mental health providers may be reluctant to recommend MAID for those with mental problems. Professional experts frequently struggle to balance their professional obligation to help patients manage their mental health with a patient’s wish for assistance in suicide. Professionals could also fear that recommending MAID to a patient might confirm that person’s notion that there is no chance of recovery. So, even when MAID is needed, mental health providers will likely prioritize other methods of supporting their patients.
A patient must be of sound mind and understand the implications of their decision to make it competently. It can be challenging to prove that a patient can render an independent decision on MAID if they are dealing with a mental disorder (Verhofstadt et al., 2019). Mental health specialists must consider the individual’s capacity and the issue’s urgency. These factors are critical given the cyclical nature of mental health disorders. Clinicians must balance respecting their patients’ wishes for autonomy and considering the possibility that their medical conditions may impair their ability to make such choices.
Conclusion
Canadians should be eligible for MAID if they only have a mental illness or disorder. Giving individuals with mental illnesses the opportunity to end their lives with dignity guarantees that their autonomy is recognized and respected, as well as their innate worth and dignity. Allowing MAID, in this case, encourages empathy and understanding and lowers the costs related to mental illness. Furthermore, it will lessen the stigma attached to mental illness and raise awareness of the value of mental health care. Notwithstanding the potential for abuse and having proper protections in place, MAID should be permitted for those experiencing a mental illness or other conditions.
References
Collier, C., & Haliburton, R. F. (2015). Bioethics in Canada: A philosophical introduction.
Dimmock, M., & Fisher, A. (2020). Utilitarianism. PHI220 Ethics and Society. Web.
Downie, J. (2022). From prohibition to permission: The winding road of medical assistance in dying in Canada. Hec Forum, 34(4), 321–354. Web.
Frolic, A., Miller, P., Harper, W., & Oliphant, A. (2022). MAiD to last: Creating a care ecology for sustainable medical assistance in dying services. HEC Forum, 34(4), 409–428. Web.
Garneau, M., & Yonah, M. (2023). Medical assistance in dying: Choices for Canadians. The authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Khawaja, M., & Khawaja, A. (2021). The ethics of dying: Deciphering pandemic-resultant pressures that influence elderly patients’ medical assistance in dying (MAiD) decisions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), Article 16. Web.
Koocher, G. P., Benjamin, G. A. H., Bolton, J., & Plante, T. G. (2023). Medical assistance in dying (MAiD): Ethical considerations for psychologists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 54(1), 2–13. Web.
Pesut, B., Thorne, S., Wright, D. K., Schiller, C., Huggins, M., Puurveen, G., & Chambaere, K. (2021). Navigating medical assistance in dying from Bill C-14 to Bill C-7: A qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 1195. Web.
Smolej, E., Malozewski, M., McKendry, S., Diab, K., Daubert, C., Farnum, A., Orianna, S., Reel, K., & Cameron, J. I. (2022). A qualitative study exploring family caregivers’ support needs in the context of medical assistance in dying. Palliative & Supportive Care, 1–7. Web.
Verhofstadt, M., Van Assche, K., Sterckx, S., Audenaert, K., & Chambaere, K. (2019). Psychiatric patients requesting euthanasia: Guidelines for sound clinical and ethical decision making. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 64, 150–161. Web.
Zortea, T. C., Brenna, C. T. A., Joyce, M., McClelland, H., Tippett, M., Tran, M. M., Arensman, E., Corcoran, P., Hatcher, S., Heise, M. J., Links, P., O’Connor, R. C., Edgar, N. E., Cha, Y., Guaiana, G., Williamson, E., Sinyor, M., & Platt, S. (2021). The impact of infectious disease-related public health emergencies on suicide, suicidal behavior, and suicidal thoughts. Crisis, 42(6), 474–487. Web.