Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T05:25:36.816Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Suicide, assisted suicide and euthanasia: International perspectives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Antoon Leenaars ,
John Connolly ,
Chris Cantor ,
Marlene EchoHawk ,
Zhao Xiong He ,
Natalia Kokorina ,
David Lester ,
Andrew A Lopatin ,
Mario Rodriguez  and
Lourens Schlebusch
...Show all authors
Antoon Leenaars
Affiliation:
University of Leiden, 880 Ouellette Ave, Suite 7-806, Windsor, ON, CanadaN9A 1C7
John Connolly
Affiliation:
St Mary's Hospital, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland
Chris Cantor
Affiliation:
Australia Institute for Suicide Research, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia
Marlene EchoHawk
Affiliation:
Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Program, Indian Health Service, Headquarters West, 5300 Homestead Rd, NE, Alberquerque NM, US87110
Zhao Xiong He
Affiliation:
Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, Nanning, Gaungxi, PR, China
Natalia Kokorina
Affiliation:
Medical Academy, Sovietsky St, 71-66, 650099, Kemerovo, Russia
David Lester
Affiliation:
Centre for the Study of Suicide, RR41, 5 Stonegate Court, Blackwood NJ, US08012
Andrew A Lopatin
Affiliation:
Kemerovo State Medical Academy, N Ostrovosky St 27-33, Kemerovo 99, 650099, Russia
Mario Rodriguez
Affiliation:
Calle 5ta, numero 29404, entre 294Y296, Santa Fe Plaza, Ciudad Habana, Cuba, Codigo Postal 19100
Lourens Schlebusch
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, University of Natal, 719 Umbilo Rd., Durban, South Africa
Yoshitomo Takahashi
Affiliation:
Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry, 1-2421 Akebono, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo 190-0012, Japan
Lakshmi Vijayakumar
Affiliation:
21 Ranjith Rd., Kotturpuram, Madras 600085, India
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Suicide, assisted suicide and euthanasia are elusive and controversial issues worldwide. To discuss such issues from only one perspective may be limiting. Therefore, this paper was written by authors from various regions, each of whom has been asked to reflect on the issues. The countries/cultures are: Australia, China, Cuba, Ireland, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, The Netherlands, North America (Turtle Island) and United States. Historically and today, suicide is viewed differently. Assisted suicide and euthanasia are equally seen from multifarious perspectives. Highlighting development in the Netherlands, Australia's Northern Territory and Japan (ie. the famous Yamanouchi Case), the review shows growing re-examination of the right to die. There appear, however, to be no uniform legal and ethical positions. Further debate and discussion globally is needed to avoid myopic perspectives.

Keywords

Assisted suicideEuthanasiaInternationalSuicide.
Type
Perspective
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 18 , Issue 1 , March 2001 , pp. 33 - 37
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Shneidman, E. (Ed.). Death: Current perspectives, 3rd Ed. Palo Alto: Mayfield Publishing Co. 1984.Google Scholar
2.Wass, H, Neimeyer, R. (Eds). Dying: Facing the facts. London: Tavlor & Francis 1995.Google Scholar
3.Burgess, S, Hawton, K. Suicide, euthanasia and the psychiatrist. Philosophy, Psychiatry & Psychology 1998; 5: 113–26.Google Scholar
4.Thakur, U. History of suicide in India. Munshi: Ram Manohar La 1963.Google Scholar
5.Victoroff, V. The suicidal patient. Oradell NJ: Medical Economics Books 1983.Google Scholar
6.Takahashi, Y. Psychology of suicide. Tokyo: Kodansha 1997.Google ScholarPubMed
7.Diekstra, R. Suicide and euthanasia. Italian J Suicidology 1992; 2: 71–8.Google Scholar
8.Leenaars, A, Diekstra, R. The will to die: An international perspective. In: Botsis, A, Soldatos, C, Stefanis, C.(Eds.). Suicide: Biopsychosocial approaches 1997; 241–256. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science.Google Scholar
9.NRC Handelsblad. Conformist nonchalance, 2 July 1998; 31.Google Scholar
10.Speijer, N, Diesktra, R. Assisted suicide: A study of the problems related to self-chosen death. Peventer: van Loghun Slaterur 1980.Google Scholar
11.Van der Maas, P, Van Delden, J, Pijnenborg, L. Euthanasia and other medical decisions concerning end of life. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science 1992.Google Scholar
12.Lester, D, Leenaars, A. The ethics of suicide and suicide prevention. Death Studies 1996; 20: 162–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Hendin, H. Seduced by death: Doctors, patients and the Dutch cure. New York: Norton 1997.Google Scholar
14.Conwell, Y. Seduced by death. [Review of H Hendin's Seduced by death]. Suicide and Life Threatening Behaviour 1998: 28; 234–7.Google Scholar
15.Berghmans, R. Commentary on “Suicide, euthanasia and the psychiatrist.” Philosophy, Psychiatry, Psychology 1998; 5: 132–5.Google Scholar
16.Goldney, R. Assisted suicide: The Australian experience. Paper presented at the conference of the German Association for Suicide Prevention, Wurzburg, Germany Nov. 1998.Google Scholar
17.Ryan, C, Kaye, M. Euthanasia in Australia – The Northern Territory Rights of the Terminally Ill Act. New Eng J Med 1996; 334: 326–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Glare, P, Tobin, B. Euthanasia in Australia. Letter. New Eng J Med 1996; 334: 1168–9.Google Scholar
19.Kissane, D, Street, A, Nitschke, P. Seven deaths in Darwin: Case studies under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, Northern Territory, Australia. Lancet 1998; Oct. 3: 1097–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Wang, H. Euthanasia in China. Chinese Social Medicine 1989; 6: 11.Google Scholar
21.Etzerdorfer, E, Vijayakumar, S, Grausgruber, A, Sonneck, G. Attitudes towards suicide among medical students – comparison between Madras (India) and Vienna (Austria). Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 1997; 33: 104–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Japanese Association for Dignified Death (Ed.). Dignified Death. Tokyo: Kodansha 1990.Google Scholar
23.Cusack, D. Physician-assisted suicide: Killing or compassion. (Editorial), Medical-Legal Journal of Ireland 1997; 3: 42.Google Scholar
24.The Medical Council of Ireland (1994). Guide to Ethical Conduct. Cork: 1994.Google Scholar
25.Kevorkian, J. The least fearsome taboo: Medical aspects of planned death. Medicine & Law 1988; 7: 1–14.Google Scholar
26.Humphry, D. Final Exit. Eugene OR: Hemlock Society 1991.Google Scholar
27.EchoHawk, M. Suicide: The scourge of Native American people. In: Leenaars, A, Maris, R, Takahashi, Y (Eds.). Suicide: Individual, cultural, international perspectives 1997; 60–67New York: Guilford.Google Scholar
28.Vergara, Y, Gonzales, I, Rodriguez, Y. Euthanasia. Unpublished manuscript 1998.Google Scholar
29.Kuhn, T. The structure of scientific revolution. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press 1962.Google Scholar