Consensual end-of-life for depressed patients: a right or a danger?

ABSTRACT

Abstract Recent events have brought the debate on end-of-life issues to the forefront, particularly regarding the principle of self-determination for depressed patients. Belgian legislation, in fact, allows for requesting euthanasia when patients, capable of expressing their own will consciously, suffer in an unbearable manner and find no meaning in continuing their existence, even in the absence of incurable and/or severely debilitating conditions. The state of the art is an increasing number of people who die from euthanasia. An open question is when a situation can be defined as unbearable. Moreover, does such an assessment necessarily lead to death, or are there other solutions? In our opinion, such a practice should be limited to prevent inappropriate applications that could lead to infringing depressed patients' rights.