The federal government’s intentions to expand assisted dying to people with mental illness continue to be divisive despite a year-long pause aimed at establishing adequate protections for patients and guidelines for health care workers.
Laurel Walker, a Halifax resident who suffered from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder for 20 years before being hospitalized in Ontario, does not want assisted dying (MAID) to be expanded in March to people whose only medical problem is mental illness.
According to her, priority should instead be given to care. Mme Walker laments that people suffering from mental illness languish on waiting lists for too long before obtaining services. They cannot afford the cost of therapy that is not covered by government programs.
Some psychiatrists and the Center for Addiction and Mental Health are calling for greater access to treatment. They add that there is not enough evidence showing that health professionals can predict the course of a patient’s health.
Supporters of the federal plan, including Dying with Dignity Canada, say excluding people with mental illness from MAID is a form of discrimination.
The DD Konia Trouton, president of the Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers, says the training program on medical assistance in dying launched in September will help doctors and nurses determine which patients may be eligible. These standards include the patient’s treatment history.