Some depressed patients opt for assisted suicide

By Anthony J. Brown, MD NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a survey in Oregon suggest that the Death with Dignity Act enacted in the state in 1997 does not always prevent patients with depression, a treatable condition, from receiving a prescription for a lethal drug. The findings indicate that "most people in Oregon who request physician aid in dying do not have clinical depression," but yet there are "small number of patients with clinical depression who are able to access lethal medications," lead investigator Dr. Linda Ganzini, from Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, told Reuters Health. "The Oregon law," she explained, "requires that if the prescribing physician is concerned that the patient might have depression influencing their judgment, that they be evaluated by a psychiatrist or psychologist. The... [read full story]