Midterm Flashcards
Define thanatologist
Someone Who studies death dying and bereavement
Thanatology
Scientific study of death dying and bereavement
Define death and dying
Death-end of life (event)
Dying- process of getting dead (process)
Define bereavement
The state an individual is left in as a result of experiencing a loss (often through losing someone through death)
Thanatos
- Greek god of death(Greek for death )
- Freud’s term for the death instinct
Who first started talking about death?
Elisabeth Kubler Ross
- talked to people who were dying/terminally ill (seen as a big no no)
- she published books and people began following her
What is formal or planned death education?
Planned/organized instruction involving death-related topics
What is a death cafe
Cafe where people talk about death and eat coffee and cake
-objective to increase awareness of death and to help people make the most of their finite lives
What is informal or unplanned death education?
Death related education emerging from everyday experiences and exchanges
What are teachable moments ?
Unanticipated life events that offer important occasions for developing educational insights and lessons
-neither planned nor desired but generally moving and intimate
Ex. Children often learn about death when s pet or loved one dies
What are the four dimensions of death education? Know these
- Cognitive - facts and theories about death related experiences and issues
- Affective - feelings, emotions, and attitudes about death, dying and bereavement
- Behavioural - how people interact with dying and/or bereaved persons
- Valuational- the basic values governing people’s lives
Denial of death -Ernest Becker
Describes the modern death denying attitudes about death
-people shield themselves from it
Describes western, particularly North American, attitudes about death
What is death anxiety?
Fear of death or thanatophobia
-a feeling of dread, apprehension or anxiety when one thinks of the process of dying or what happens after death
What are some causes to why people feel anxious about dying ?
- unknown nature of what lies beyond this life
- we are all vulnerable to death
- inevitability of death
- pain and suffering while dying
- loss of control/losing ones independence
- dying alone
- fear of non existence/non-being
- worry of what will become of our loved ones
- death is not well understood
- media images of death are often terrifying
What are the 4 sub-scales on the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale?
- Fear of own death
- Your own dying
- The death of others
- The dying of others
What’s the relationship between death anxiety and gender?
Females typically report higher levels of death anxiety than males
(Maybe females are more open about their feelings about death/dying than males)
What’s the relationship between death anxiety and age?
Young adults tend to report higher levels of death anxiety than older adults. Tends to decrease with age
What’s the relationship between death anxiety and religion ?
People who are uncertain about their religious views (ie. those who have doubts or moderate religious beliefs) tend to report higher levels of death anxiety
What’s the relationship between death anxiety and self-esteem?
Individuals low in self-esteem report higher levels of death anxiety than those high in self esteem
What does it mean that death anxiety is situation-specific?
People with different situations/experiences will have different attitudes towards death
- If in good health maybe they’re less anxious
- if they’re in poor health maybe they’re more anxious
What is the general ancient perspective of death and dying
-death is a curse and not a natural outcome of life (Adam and eve lived in a perfect place with no death until they ate the fruit and their punishment was death)
What is our death system
The ideals, values, and practises that shape how we deal with death; our healthcare system, or laws and the funeral service industry
Describe the four facet model which suggests there are four fundamental dimensions of coping with dying
The physical facet-The physical dimensions of the living: bodily needs and physical distress. Material existence is experienced directly with the senses
the social facet-include human experience concerned with social relations: family, groups, communities, culture, social institutions and society itself including the death system (includes all of one’s relationships)
psychological facet-our thoughts feelings and the entirety of human subjective experience can inspire the imagination and desire to understand end-of-life issues
spirituality-dimension of life that reflects the need to find meaning or connectedness to universe greater than oneself, and a sense of transcendence
What is religion
A set of organize believes and practises about the supernatural: embraces the spiritual dimension
What is the death origin story of the two messengers
First animal carries God’s message that human beings will have eternal life and a second animal carries God’s message that human beings will die. The second animal gets there first and the first animal gets delayed/sidetracked
What is the death origin story of the waxing and waving moon
All people live, die and then live again just like the moon does (goes from the waxing to waving stage)
-Hindus believe the soul reincarnates again and again on earth entering into many bodies, passing through many births, deaths and rebirth until it becomes perfect or reunites or becomes one with God
What is the death origin story of the serpent and his cast skin
Messenger got his message mixed up/switched it
- instead of snake is dying and he was living forever, the message was that snakes will live forever in humans will die
- Death was therefore an accident or mistake
What is the death origin story of the banana tree
-The people wanted something else to eat, so God lowers a stone with a banana on it. As punishment people will die after producing their own fruit just like the banana tree
What is this the ancient Egyptians prospective on death and dying
-Believed in the afterlife and spent a considerable amount of time and money preparing for it.
They thought they could take stuff with them and had their bodies modified preserve the body on the journey
-land of the two fields
-death was not an end but a transition to the other world
What was the ancient Greeks prospective on dying
-regarding death as a passage into an afterlife, but the after life is not always pleasant
-hades was the Greek underworld or land of the dead.
Tartarus-A pretty bleak and miserable place for sinners. A place of punishment for the bad spirits
Asphodel-A place for ordinary spirits/neutral place. There seem to be no reward or punishment, just an overwhelming dullness
Elysium-an eternal paradise or place reserved for heroes and the gods
What was the ancient Israelites perspective on dying? What is Sheol? (600Bc-300BC)
- regarded death as a transition to it shadowy underworld where life went on in a limited fashion
- Sheol: place of darkness to which all dead go (didn’t matter what kind of life you lived, both path led to the same place)
- dead were isolated from both the living and God
Who was Philippe Aries
Reconstructed the history on the western views of death
-he identified five historical periods of Western attitude toward death
List the five historical periods of the western attitudes toward death
- Tame or tamed death (early middle ages; 500ADto 1000 AD)
- Death of the self or one’s own death(Late middle ages; 1100 to 1300 AD)
- Remote and imminent death or thy death (renaissance; 1300-1600AD)
- death of the other (1700 to 1980)
- invisible death a.k.a. death denied, or been death (1900 century on)
Describe the first historical period of western attitude toward death
1. Tame or tamed death (early middle ages; 500ADto 1000 AD)
- that was seen as an inseparable and inevitable part of human life
- The dying person was aware of their imminent death and calmly and willingly accepted it
- death was a natural/normal event, part of every day life
- death was a public or community event and was considered merely sleep until the second coming
- infant mortality was high and old age was rare
Describe the historical period of western attitude toward death
2. Death of the self or one’s own death(Late middle ages; 1100 to 1300 AD)
-people became more aware of themselvesis as unique and distinct individuals, “I will die my own death”
-individuals experience great anxiety about what happens after death
Death was seen as leading to either reward or punishment in the afterlife
-The hour of one’s death became the most important hour of one’s life (when the fate of the soul was determined)
-either reward in heaven or punished in hell
-The art of dying is written as “guide” to death and Dying
Describe the historical period of western attitude toward death
3. Remote and imminent death or thy death (renaissance; 1300-1600AD)
- Death is even more frightening and they made great efforts to keep death at a distance (graveyards moved outside of town)
- morning customs are more strictly defined.
- Death is both enticing and repelling.
- New fear developed called taphaphobia (fear of being buried alive) and they develop techniques to prevent this (had men spend all night in the graveyard listening for bells that were attached to rope’s underground)
Describe the historical period of western attitude toward death
4. death of the other (1700 to 1980)
- Focus on relationships broken by death. Death is seen as an intolerable separation from the one who dies
- mourning becomes emotional and expressive; mourners lose control such as wailing (which was not appropriate in previous periods)
- death means reunion with deceased loved ones
- Seances become popular event - Communication with the dead
Describe the historical period of western attitude toward death
5. invisible death a.k.a. death denied, or forbidden death (1900 century on)
- death is a failure of medical science (deathbed scene is no longer romanticized)
- death is medicalized and banished from the home(removed from the general view of the public)
- death is offensive and should occur in private
- The whole process of death and burial is put into the hands of medical and funeral staff
- individuals fear dying alone in the hospital hooked up to a bunch of machines and tubes
What are death rates (mortality rates)
- The total number of deaths during a year among members of a given population group divided by the total population
- usually expressed as some number of deaths per thousand or hundred thousand people
What are infant and maternal death rates
- death rates among infants under a year and death of woman in the process of giving birth or immediately after birth
- both drastically decreased since the 1900s
What is the average life expectancy
An estimate of the average number of years individual could expect to live based on their year of birth
- in 2000 Canadas average of expectancy was 82 years old
- in 1900, 4% of the population was 65 years or older, in 2014, 15% of the population was 65 years or older (USA)
What are the main causes of death today
Chronic illness or degenerative diseases: diseases that typically result from a long-term wearing out of body organs, typically associated with aging, lifestyle, and environment
examples: cancer(esp. lung cancers), heart disease, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease
What are dying trajectories
Patterns of dying or the ways in which dying plays out. Very in their duration or length of time(brief or long) as well as shape(predictable or unpredictable)
What are the main causes of death in the past and what are the symptoms
-infection or communicable diseases: diseases that can be spread/transmitted from person to person
Exs: influenza, Tuberculosis
Symptoms: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, muscle ache
-in the 1900s influenza and pneumonia were the leading cause of death in the US
describe the change of death location between the past and the present
The physical place in which death occurs used to be the home and now it is mostly in public institutions
-death today is no longer seen as a neutral/normal event but is now often invisible and out of sight
List the seven factors that helped bring about the changes in the ways we encounter death today (why we encounter death far less often today)
- Industrialization
- process of developing industries: machines do what used to be done by hand (better housing, clothing, water/sewage systems, Communication/transportation, more food and improved general standards of living - Changes in public health measures
- actions taken to protect/improve the health of societies members (better understanding of communicable diseases and how they spread-isolating sick people, controlling disease carrying insects etc.) - Rise of modern cure oriented medicine
- The biomedical model of disease became the prominent model used by doctors. Focusing on curative treatments(diagnosis, cure, treatment of disease). Sterile hospitals were built and modern medical technologies were invented(ex organ transplantation) - Preventative healthcare for individuals
- healthcare designed to prevent or minimize the likelihood of acquiring disease: vaccine development, warnings and suggestions (dangers of smoking, drinking while pregnant) - Nature of contemporary families
- Family size is shrinking, may not personally witness the death of a family member - Geographic mobility
- distance separates families/may end up dying alone - Lifestyle
- diet/exercise
Briefly list the seven sources of attitudes towards death
- Personal or firsthand experiences.
- Family e.g. parents.
- Peers.
- Religion.
- Cultural backgrounds.
- Language
- music.
- Literature.
- Humour.
- News media.
- Entertainment media
Give examples to how personal experiences influence attitudes towards death
- death of a family member/close friend
- attending a loved one’s funeral
- providing care for a dying loved one
Give examples to how family can influence attitudes towards death
- what parents say or don’t say to their children about death and dying
- children may form incorrect beliefs about death if not taught by their parents
- how parents handle death when it occurs within the family (parents who cry show that grieving is acceptable)
Give examples to how peers can influence attitudes towards death
-other children’s and families attitudes toward death can influence your own
Give examples to how religion can influence attitudes towards death
- different religions have different beliefs about death and the afterlife
- different ideas about what funeral or burial rituals may be undertaken: cremation or casket?
- May influence attitudes toward specific end of life issues (abortion, medical assistance in dying, blood transfusions)
Give examples to how cultural backgrounds can influence attitudes towards death
Every culture has his own ways of dealing with death. Example. Mexico’s day of the dead
Give examples to how language can influence attitudes towards death
Replacing the words dead and dying with euphemisms may indicate a denial of reality (lost or sleeping but not dead)
- gives us distance from our discomfort with death (pets are put to sleep or put down, not dead)
- used death related words to dramatize or intensify expressions (nearly died laughing)
- asleep, passed away, went to a better place, gone, resting, found peace, with the Angels, kicked the bucket
Give examples to how music can influence attitudes towards death
Opera-often about tragedy or death
Gospel-many funeral songs
religious composition (Christian songs)- talk about heaven
Give examples to how literature can influence attitudes towards death
Children stories or fairytales-Little red riding hood dies in wolf in original book but story was changed
-Adult literature- Shakespearean tragedies, murder mysteries, horror stories and true crime books
Give examples to how humour can influence attitudes towards death
- jokes, funny epitaphs on tombstones, dark or gallows humour
- gives us a way to talk about a taboo topic
- helps to ease our anxiety about death and rise above sadness
- provides relief from pain (laughter is the best medicine) and brings people together/builds relationships between people
Give examples to how entertainment media can influence attitudes towards death
Television, movies, Internet, video games
- killing has become a game and children shows/movies show unrealistic views on death (ie. coming back to life etc.)
- media images of death tend to be violent, unrealistic, and scary
- example. The best funeral ever was a reality TV show where funerals were themed
Give examples to how news media can influence attitudes towards death
- accidents, murders, suicides, Warzone stories, disasters
- death of famous people, “if it bleeds, it leads”
What is the dictionary definition of suicide and what are the problems with this definition
Definition: “the intentional act of killing oneself or self murder”
- problem: overlooks cases where people have done nothing to bring about their own death
- Permanent solution to a temporary problem
- 10th leading cause of death in the USA and ninth cause in Canada
- people in all income brackets and social classes commit suicide with mental illness being the most important risk factor
What is passive suicide
Not making the effort to stay alive or letting oneself be killed
What is the World health organization definition for suicide
is an act with a fatal outcome which the deceased, knowing or expecting a fatal outcome, has initiated and carried out with the purpose of bringing about wanted changes
-Second leading cause of death among young Canadians, followed by accident (between ages 10 to 24) and first leading cause of death among the first nations youth in Canada
What is the relationship between gender and suicide
Woman attempt suicide 2 to 3 times more often than men and report higher rates of depression
- men complete suicide at a rate of four times that of woman
- Women are more likely to seek help when in a crisis and tend to use less lethal means of killing themselves
What’s the relationship between suicide and marital status
Suicide rates are lower for married people than never married people
-enhanced opportunities for social support and increased feelings of responsibilities that marriage can bring
Individuals with children commit suicide less than childless individuals
What is the relationship between suicide and occupation
Physicians have the highest suicide rates in the US and are 1.87 times more likely to commit suicide than average
- followed by dentists, veterinarians, finance workers, and chiropractors
- teachers have the lowest risk
What is autocide
Use of a vehicle to commit suicide
What is suicide by cop
Method of suicide in which a person intentionally engages in life threatening behaviour to induce a police officer to shoot them
What age group has the highest rate of suicide in Canada
Persons age 40 to 59 (45% of all suicides in 2008)
-however, in many countries, the rate of suicide increases with age
What is sutte and Seppuku
- sutte: A recently widowed woman burning herself to death on a funeral pyre of her husband (proof of her devotion)
- Seppuku: ritual disembowelment by sword (honourable way to take ones own life)
List the suicidal methods
- fire arms( most common in Canada)
- drug/alcohol overdose
- hanging
- mixing over the counter medications with alcohol or illegal drugs
- poisoning e.g. and healing high levels of carbon monoxide
- cutting/stabbing
- jumping from high places
- drowning
- males are more likely to use fire arms in suicide attempts and females more likely to use drugs
List the seven risk factors that may cause a person to commit suicide
1. Depression (especially feelings of hopelessness) 2 personality factors 3 cognitive factors 4 environmental stress 5 alcohol and drug use physical illness behavioural indicators
Explain the risk factor of depression for suicide
- have an overwhelmingly negative or bleak view of the world and of the future, coupled with the belief that things will never get better
- bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorder, panic disorder
Explain the risk factor “Personality factors” for suicide
- neuroticism; neurotic people tend to be anxious, moody, jealous and worry a lot
- submissiveness or willing to do what others want
- pessimism (always thinking that the worst will happen)
- easily upset or agitated
- difficulty controlling and regulating ones emotions
- Low self-esteem/hard on self
- difficulties with Intimate relationships
- beauties of loneliness or despair
Explain the risk factors “cognitive factors” for suicide
- perfectionism (striving for flawlessness and setting unrealistically high standards for oneself)
- irrationality (less ability to generate alternative solutions to problems): suicidal locus of control-nothing they can do will make a difference
- negative attitudes about the future
- Rigid and narrow thinking
- thinking characterized by hopelessness and helplessness (nothing will ever change and they are powerless to change their life circumstances)
Explain the risk factor “environmental stress” for suicide
-history of physical or sexual abuse, or both -highly dysfunctional family backgrounds (addiction or mental health issues)
Explain the risk factor alcohol and drug use for suicide
May use alcohol or drugs to relieve stress, depression and anxiety
-alcohol and drugs lower inhibitions and impairs ability to think rationally
Describe the risk factor physical illness for suicide
-terminal or physical illness involving chronic pain that cannot be relieved through meds
Explain The suicidal risk factor of behavioural indicators
- previous suicide attempts
- verbalizing suicidal thoughts and feelings (“I wish I was dead”, “you would be better off without me”)
Describe the sociological explanation of suicide including social integration and regulation
-Emile Durkheim 1897
-Believed suicide was highly related to social factors (especially between relationship with individual and society)
Social integration (sense of belonging): degree to which individuals feel they are a part of (connected to) their society
Social regulation: degree to which society is able to manage or regulate the behaviour of its members
What are the four types of suicide included in the sociological explanation of suicide
1 Egoistic: occurs when people do not feel connected or lack close ties with people in society (Low social integration, feel alone)
Ex. Separated, divorced and widowed people
2. Altruistic: occurs when people take their own lives for the benefit of others (overly high social integration)
Ex. Suicide bombers, 911 terrorists, karoshi
3 anomic(sense of confusion): occurs in people who once felt connected with the rest of society and now feel let down or disillusioned by society (low social regulation)
Ex A person made jobless
4 Fatalistic: occurs mainly in highly restricted, regulated and controlled environment/societies; individuals feel oppressed by the society’s rules and regulations (high social regulation)
Ex. Prison inmates
What is the psychological explanation for suicide according to Sigmund Freud
- murder turned around 180°, (turned inward) -individual identifies themselves with the loss of a desired person (E.g. spouse or relationship partner ) and becomes angry towards their ex. (hating and wanting to hurt them)
- because the individual has identified themself with their ex, they turn their anger towards themselves/inward
- The result is suicide
What is the psychological explanation of suicide according to Edwin Shneidman (3Pigs)
- he wrote a book called “definitions of suicide”
- involves the cubic model of suicide: press, psychache, perturbation
1. Press: refers to events internal and external to which the individual reacts - negative events (eg rejection, humiliation, failure ) move the individual towards suicide
- Psychache or psychological pain:
- intense and unendurable psychological pain (e.g. hurt, betrayal, depression, hopelessness, sadness, despair) stemming from frustrated or unfilled psychological needs (lack of belonging, lack of an intimate relationship, being a burden to others)
- see suicide as an exclusively human response to extremes psychological pain - Perturbation:
- the state of being emotionally upset, disturbed or agitated
What is this like a psychological explanation for suicide according to Thomas Joiner
- interpersonal theory of suicide, includes three key motivational aspects that contribute to suicide
1. Feeling like being a burden on other people, their death would be worth more than a life
2. Profound sense of loneliness, alienation, isolation (lacking in social connections, don’t fit in) - > 1 and 2 create a desire for suicide
3. Sense of fearlessness -> habituation to fear and pain (becomes numb) - > enables individual to initiate a suicide attempt
What is the biological explanation for suicide
Low levels of serotonin have been found in people with depression, impulse control disorder’s and a history of suicide attempts, as well as in the brains of some people who have completed suicide
List the 9 categories of suicide
Suicide as escape-escape intense physical pain/mental anguish
Rational suicide-logical or rational reasoning behind suicide decision (why suffer for 2 more months)
Cry for help-wanting a change and asking for help(maybe not really wanting to die)
Suicide for reunion -to join the diseased
suicide as revenge-to hurt others after being rejected, passed over, or in someway treated unfairly
suicide as the penalty for failure-I am no good and never will be, there’s no point in going on
Suicide by mistake/accident-did not mean to kill themselves
Chronic suicide -individuals who destroyed themselves by means of drugs, alcohol, smoking or reckless love
Cluster or copycat suicide-imitation of somebody else’s suicide. follow media portrayals or widely published news (takes place at same point in time and same method) ex. College students/inmates
What are the 10 warning signs of someone who may be suicidal
1 talking about suicide and death.
2Pulling away from family and friends.
3 Changing behavior, attitude, appearance, or thinking (weather gradual or sudden)ex. Increase alcohol or drug use, mood swings)
4. Giving away personal possessions, finishing off tasks, making arrangements for children/pets or planning for the future of others, making will
5. Demonstrating uncharacteristically reckless or self harmful behaviour
6 lacking interest in normal activities that the person previously enjoyed
7. Sudden changes in eating and sleeping behaviours (losing or gaining weight rapidly)
8 sudden elevation of mood. All of a sudden seems calm and happy but actually finalized suicide plans and ready to carry them out
9 obtaining access to lethal means of self harm(stock piling drugs, acquiring a fire arm)
10 experiencing a recent loss or serious disappointment(meaningful relationship or job)
List the four specific groups that may be susceptible to suicide
- College or university students
- Gay men and lesbians
- people who are transgender (or gender nonconforming)
- victims of bullying
Why might college or university students be more likely than average people to commit suicide
-relief from emotional/physical pain, problem with romantic relationships, pressured to get good grades, debt, future uncertainties, away from home. They felt they were performing below their or their parent’s expectation
List the eight ways of what you can do to help prevent suicide
1 beware of the warning signs.
2 Ask direct questions ( are you thinking about killing yourself?)
3 Use positive excepting statements (“I can see how distressed you are”)
4. Make sure the individual is not left alone.
5 Suggest reasons to continue living (love of family friends pets)
6 encourage individuals to get counselling
7. If suicide seems imminent, call 911 or take person to emergency room
8 make sure to pay attention to your own feelings afterward-> you will be feeling the stress need to talk to someone. If you were unsuccessful, don’t blame yourself
What is euthanasia
Act of intentionally causing the death of another person for reasons that are believed to benevolent/kind (eg. to relieve the person’s pain and suffering)
- A.k.a. mercy killing or pulling the plug
- euthanasia literally means good or happy death
What is passive euthanasia
Deliberate withholding of medical treatment or intervention that might prolong a persons life ( letting nature take it’s course)
-not placing a person with severe brain damage on life-support system.
-Withholding or removing life-support treatment e.g. discontinuing food/water, turning off ventilators, stoping medications
-
What is active euthanasia
- acting and deliberately doing something with the intent of ending another persons life
- giving a lethal injection to end the life of a person who is suffering greatly and had no chance of recovering
- morally better because it’s quicker and less painful
- distinction between active and passive euthanasia is not as clear as we’d like
What is involuntary euthanasia
-homicide/murder
-act of terminating someone’s life against their will and without their knowledge or consent
Ex. Killing of Jews
What is non-voluntary euthanasia
Intentionally ending the life of the person who is not capable of making this choice for himself or herself
-someone other than the patient intentionally contributes to the death of another person, whose wishes to live or die or unknown
-includes: brain-dead patients, comas, dementia
(In each case the patient has no living will/care plan)
What is voluntary euthanasia
Occurs when a mentally competent person wants to die and says so
Includes cases of:
-asking for help with dying
-asking for medical treatments to be stopped
-refusing medical treatment
- refusing to eat or drink
What is the principle of double effect
If an action, such as giving the patient a high dose of morphine, is intended to bring about a good effect(relieve pain and suffering )but can only be achieved at the risk producing a harmful effect(hasting the patient’s death), then the action is considered ethically acceptable
-Active euthanasia cases rarely make the news and no one questions health aid person
Describe the case of Robert Latimer
He killed his 12-year-old daughter and was sentenced to 25 years in prison
- they believed that it was an act of love/compassion but made errors in his judgement
- did he end her own suffering or his
Describe the slippery slope argument with euthanasia
-legalizing euthanasia for persons who are terminally ill could eventually lead to a whole range of unforeseen consequences, such as legalizing euthanasia for people who are kind of chronically ill, mentally ill or elderly
What is physician assisted suicide
- voluntary euthanasia- Adult asks doctor to help them die
- is suicide in which a physician has provided the patient with the means to end his or her own life(prescription for lethal drugs) and the patient performs the action(Self administers the drugs) to end his or her own life themselves
What are the two types of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada
- A physician or nurse practitioner can directly administer medication that causes the death of the person who requested it
- Physician or nurse practitioner gives/prescribes medication that they self administer
Who is eligible for medical assistance in dying in Canada (under the new law)
- must be able to make decisions about your health i.e. must be mentally competent
- must be 18
- must have a serious incurable disease
- suffering is unbearable and cannot be relieved in any way that you can find acceptable
Who is jack Kevorian
- Dr. Death
- self proclaimed death councillor
- assisted over 130 people to die by using a thantron(3 fluids injected into patient)
- he was charged with second degree murder after directly giving a lethal drug to patient who wanted to die
- 70% of the assisted deaths were not terminally ill but highly depressed (may have rushed some patients into it)
What are some attitudes toward physician assisted suicide?
- many religious groups are opposed to it
- Disabled rights group are opposed to it
- 76% of Canadian physicians are opposed to it in 1996
- legalizing PAS would have neg affect on hospice palliative care (want PAS, skip palliative care) as well as physician/patient relationships
- physicians trained to heal not kill
Why have peoples attitudes changed about the right to die concept
- people are better educated about these issues and value autonomy and independence
- many people fear being kept alive long after all meaning of life has disappeared
- we’ve become more sexualized and drawn away from religion
- living longer and dying slower (don’t want to have a long slow death)
What were the most frequently cited reasons for choosing PAS
- fear of continuing to lose autonomy
- having less ability to participate in actions that make life enjoyable
- The feeling of a progressive loss of dignity
- losing control of bodily functions
- being a burden on friends, family, and caregivers -inadequate pain control
What are the arguments in favour of euthanasia or physician assisted suicide
- The right to die when and how and where people want should be a fundamental freedom for individuals.
- All individuals have the right to die with dignity.
- Reduction of pain and suffering.
- Avoid botched suicide attempts.
- Reduce healthcare costs (ventilators/machines).
- Free up physicians and nurses time to work on saveable patients
What are the arguments against euthanasia and physician assisted suicide
-religious arguments; it is against the word and will of God, “thou shall not kill”.
-violates physicians Hippocratic oath
-lead to a weakening of physician-patient trust
-Demeans (or devalues) human life (better to be dead than sick)
-slippery slope
-what if physicians diagnosis is wrong
-what if a cure or miracle treatment happens/is discovered
-patients are choosing death for the wrong reasons (pain and clinical depression)
-option of suicide is always there/available (no not for people who are terminally ill and disabled)
-
Terrorism
Unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property; to intimidate a government or the civilian population (political or social objectives)
Eros
The life instinct (Freud)
Anomie
Sense of alienation or normlessness
Disenfranchised grief
Grief that is not allowed, hidden
Grief of murders’ families
