| Summary: |
Within the context of a severe and incurable disease or definitive injury, individuals may hold various intentions regarding life and death. Often, there is a degree of ambivalence in their attitudes, thoughts, or feelings, largely due to uncertainty about disease progression and associated symptoms. Some individuals may choose to hasten death by requesting euthanasia or assisted suicide in countries where such practices are possible. In Portugal, the bill on hastened death (or medically assisted death) - a term encompassing both euthanasia and assisted suicide - has been approved by parliament. However, it is not yet regulated, and its precise trajectory remains unclear.
The practice of hastened death remains controversial and polarising, giving rise to an intense debate about its potential risks and benefits. At the heart of this debate lie two values widely regarded as fundamental in modern societies: respect for autonomy and the value of life. Given the profound significance of these values, choosing a binary, mutually exclusive position becomes inherently difficult. Furthermore, the prospect of reaching a consensus appears out of reach, leading to what seems to be an endless dispute rooted in individual sensitivities and collective ideologies.
A central goal of healthcare is to promote the best interests of patients in their relationship with the disease. In this regard, healthcare professionals are tasked with helping individuals make decisions that enhance their health and wellbeing, as well as reduce their suffering. There must be no predetermined or immutable choices. Consequently, considering individual diversity, defending unequivocal "yes" or "no" answers become even more challenging. Determining whether a person's decisions about their own death are informed, coherent, and stable, and whether these decisions genuinely represent the best option for them, is both complex and crucial. It is, therefore, ess  |
Summary
Within the context of a severe and incurable disease or definitive injury, individuals may hold various intentions regarding life and death. Often, there is a degree of ambivalence in their attitudes, thoughts, or feelings, largely due to uncertainty about disease progression and associated symptoms. Some individuals may choose to hasten death by requesting euthanasia or assisted suicide in countries where such practices are possible. In Portugal, the bill on hastened death (or medically assisted death) - a term encompassing both euthanasia and assisted suicide - has been approved by parliament. However, it is not yet regulated, and its precise trajectory remains unclear.
The practice of hastened death remains controversial and polarising, giving rise to an intense debate about its potential risks and benefits. At the heart of this debate lie two values widely regarded as fundamental in modern societies: respect for autonomy and the value of life. Given the profound significance of these values, choosing a binary, mutually exclusive position becomes inherently difficult. Furthermore, the prospect of reaching a consensus appears out of reach, leading to what seems to be an endless dispute rooted in individual sensitivities and collective ideologies.
A central goal of healthcare is to promote the best interests of patients in their relationship with the disease. In this regard, healthcare professionals are tasked with helping individuals make decisions that enhance their health and wellbeing, as well as reduce their suffering. There must be no predetermined or immutable choices. Consequently, considering individual diversity, defending unequivocal "yes" or "no" answers become even more challenging. Determining whether a person's decisions about their own death are informed, coherent, and stable, and whether these decisions genuinely represent the best option for them, is both complex and crucial. It is, therefore, essential to guide and support individuals throughout their decision-making process, ensuring they feel acknowledged in their difficulties and have the opportunity to reflect on them together in a context of deep trust, which may encourage more appropriate decisions.
It is thus imperative to investigate the motives that may lead to a request for hastened death and how these might evolve over time. The development and validation of the "Will to Hasten Death Evaluation Scale" (WHDES) represented an initial milestone. The WHDES studies in Portugal aimed to contribute to identifying the motives behind a request for hastened death, and particularly to chart how they evolve over time, in a field where knowledge is scarce. However, recognising the limitations of these studies in a country where hastened death is not permitted, it is necessary
to extend their validation internationally, specifically in Spain, where hastened death is legal. This project is not merely focused on adapting and validating the WHDES in Spain as a unique tool in this domain, but also on expanding our comprehension of the key factors influencing the request for hastened death. Therefore, alongside scale validation, a longitudinal assessment at three points in time is planned, exploring the progression of the will to die and the physical, functional, and emotional factors associated with it, in patients with a severe and incurable disease, terminal or not terminal, whether they receive outpatient, inpatient, or home-based care. This research intend to be a pivotal contribution of Psychology to understanding processes of hastened death in countries where it is possible. In this manner, it is anticipated that a positive contribution will be made to seeking consensus and improving end-of-life healthcare. |