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Suicidal ideation at end-of-life: The palliative care team's role

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2004

ANN GOELITZ
ANN GOELITZ
Affiliation:
Project Liberty Program, Brooklyn, New York
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Abstract

Objective: To report on the case of a terminally ill patient who expresses suicidal ideation.

Methods: As this case demonstrates, suicidality at end-of-life poses numerous challenges for the palliative care team. In this case, a 49-year-old man with locally extensive head and neck cancer refused all life-prolonging treatment and expressed a desire to hasten his own death. Other issues, such as chemical dependency and lack of social supports, complicated his care.

Results: Suicidality lessened as continuity of care, with ongoing assessments and interventions, addressed sources of suffering and built relationships with health care professionals.

Significance of results: This case highlights the observation that desire for hastened death fluctuates for patients at end-of-life and may be influenced by factors under the control of the palliative care team.

Keywords

End-of-lifeTerminal illnessSuicideHastened deathChemical dependencyPain and palliative care
Type
CASE REPORT
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 1 , Issue 3 , September 2003 , pp. 275 - 278
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press

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