When the 2001 resolution was passed, the topic was known as "assisted suicide." Today, providers prefer the term "assisted dying" to reflect the distinction between suicide and the process of hastening death to alleviate pain and suffering. The most notable update to the resolution was linguistic. But we determined that APA shouldn't be a limiter of that discussion." "Psychologists have to be aware of their own biases, and if they can't be a part of the discussion without those biases getting in the way, they should refer the person to someone else. "It was the consensus of the working group that this is a matter between the psychologist and the person considering aid in dying," says group member and Jonesville, Virginia–based psychologist James L. Like the previous resolution, the 2017 update states that APA neither endorses nor opposes assisted dying at this time. In August, APA's Council of Representatives voted to approve the updated resolution. Goy and her colleagues on the working group were charged with updating APA's previous resolution on assisted suicide, adopted in 2001. "Dying is universal, and it behooves all of us to have some foundational knowledge about end-of-life issues." A new language "The very best thing we can do as psychologists is to improve communication and make sure that we are attending to the needs and suffering of patients who are at the end of life," Goy says. On the clinical side, psychologists' skills are helpful as people sort through their feelings and desires at the end of life, says Elizabeth Goy, PhD, a psychologist at the Portland VA Medical Center and associate professor at Oregon Health and Science University, and chair of the APA Working Group on End-of-Life Issues and Care. Can a person with depression rationally choose to hasten death? Would the option be less appealing if people received better care for physical symptoms and emotional distress? Could aid in dying put marginalized groups at risk?Īs physician-assisted dying becomes available in more places, research psychologists are finding opportunities to study people's motivations and the potential benefits and harms of aid in dying. Yet the topic arouses strong feelings-and raises plenty of questions. Today, policymakers and voters have more data to draw from when considering similar legislation. In the 1990s, the arguments for and against assisted dying "were more emotional than scientific," he says. In some ways, the cultural conversation about assisted dying has evolved since Oregon paved the way for physician-assisted death, says Barry Rosenfeld, PhD, a professor of psychology and adjunct professor of law at Fordham University who has studied the desire for hastened death. Since then, California, Colorado, Vermont, Washington state and Washington, D.C., have passed similar statutes. It's been two decades since Oregon enacted the nation's first Death with Dignity Act, allowing people with terminal illnesses to hasten their deaths by self-administering medications prescribed by a physician. Discuss research on how family and friends are affected when a loved one chooses assisted dying.Discuss the ways depression can complicate a patient’s wish for assisted dying.Describe APA’s resolution on assisted dying.OverviewĪfter reading this article, CE candidates will be able to: The APA Office of CE in Psychology retains responsibility for the program. The test fee is $25 for members and $35 for nonmembers. To earn CE credit, after you read this article, purchase the online exam at Upon successful completion of the test - a score of 75 percent or higher - you can immediately print your CE certificate. "CE Corner" is a continuing education article offered by the APA Office of CE in Psychology.
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