Physician-Assisted Suicide and Psychology Essay example

There has been very little literature presented on Physician Assistant Suicide and its relationship particularly to psychology, PAS is my opinion is in fact a psychological issue. Psychology by definition is a discipline that studies both the human mind and behavior and seeks to understand and provide explanation pertaining to thought, emotion, and behavior (Cherry, 2011). Applications of psychology can range from mental health, self- health, and a myriad of areas that can affect health and daily life (Cherry, 2011). Although many people are familiar with the term â€Å"physician-assisted suicide,† very few however, actually know what is meant by the term. The term â€Å"physician-assisted suicide† is one that has been commonly used among the†¦show more content†¦The argument by those who are against using the term suicide believe that in contrast to those patients with impaired judgment, patients who are terminally ill and request medication under the act possess the ability to make a reasonable, autonomous decision to terminate their lives (Chin, Hedberg, Higginson, Fleming, 1999). Therefore a person’s mental capacity or judgment has not been affected and they are deemed suitable to make this decision (Chin, Hedberg, Higginson, Fleming, 1999). Proving that a person is capable of making this decision on their own without any outside help is most critical part of this whole entire process (Chin, Hedberg, Higginson, Fleming, 1999). . Speaking in general, this could be the main difference between a person that is considered to be suicidal and treated as if their ability to make decisions has been compromised (Starks, 2009). This result in receiving aid from healthcare workers called to intervene and give life-sustaining treatment over the objection of the patient (Starks, 2009). The Oregon Death with Dignity Act of October 27, 1997, was the legalization of physician-assisted suicide in the state of Oregon (Hendin, 1998). The Act permits terminally ill residents of the state the right to receiveShow MoreRelatedPhysician Assisted Suicide : Should It Be Legal Or Banned Essay768 Words   |  4 Pages Physician-Assisted Suicide: should it be legal or banned According to s. 241 (b) of the Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, it is a crime in Canada to assist a person to end his own life. People who are grievously and irremediably ill can not seek physician-assisted suicide in dying and may be condemned to a life of intolerable suffering. This bill makes the patients lose the right of independent choice and brings more pain to their families. 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In her paper, Foley refers to a study which says â€Å"depressed patients with cancer said they would view positively those physicians who acknowledged their willingness to assist in suicide. In contrast, patients with cancer who were suffering from pain would be suspicious of such physicians†(121). In other words, the