A Canadian woman seeking psychiatric treatment for suicidal thoughts at a Vancouver hospital says she was offered information on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) — the country’s legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia — instead of treatment.
Kathrin Mentler told The Tyee that she’s long suffered from chronic depression and anxiety.
“I live with chronic suicidal thoughts but that doesn’t mean I never feel joy in my life,” she explained. When she found herself in a downward spiral this spring, she headed to Vancouver General Hospital’s Access and Assessment Centre for assistance.
“That day my goal was to keep myself safe. I was thinking of maybe trying to get myself admitted to hospital because I was in crisis,” she said. Instead of giving Mentler the help she was seeking, Mentler said a hospital counselor told her the mental health system was “completely overwhelmed” and the earliest she could get a psychiatric appointment would be November.
Her only other option would be to speak to the on-call psychiatrist, but doing so would mean admitting herself and waiting in a holding room until a bed became available, with no guaranteed timeframe as to when that would happen.
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“It was pretty disheartening and made me feel helpless,” Mentler said. “I’m coming here because I’m looking for help and you’re telling me there is no help.”
To make matters worse, the counselor then asked Mentler if she had considered assisted suicide, telling her that many patients take extra medication before the procedure to avoid a painful death. The counselor also shared the personal story of another mental health patient who had been on multiple medications and drowned, with the counselor noting they were “sad” but “felt relief” upon learning of the patient’s death.
Mentler said she was troubled by the counselor’s insinuation that relief could be found in death.
“That made me feel like my life was worthless or a problem that could be solved if I chose MAiD,” she said.
For its part, the hospital has now said that the mention of MAiD was strictly protocol to assess the patient’s suicidal thoughts — though it hasn’t commented on the counselor’s additional statements.
“For patients who present with suicidality, staff complete a clinical evaluation with each client and explore all available care options, which may include questions about whether they have considered Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) as part of the patient’s contemplations,” said a spokesperson.
“We understand this conversation could be upsetting for some patients, and we share our deepest apologies for any distress caused.”
Though assisted suicide in Canada isn’t yet available for patients suffering from mental illness alone (though lawmakers are pursuing it), the cases of MAiD have skyrocketed for other situations, including poverty and the inability to access proper medical treatment.
Like Mentler, others have described being offered MAiD without ever asking for it, or in place of actual health care. These instances show that once death is seen as a solution to many of life’s problems, it will often be suggested as an option to anyone who is suffering.
