title: Physician-assisted suicide: a double dilemma.
abstract: The ethical dilemma posed by the conflicts around physician-assisted suicide require at least three criteria that must be passed as a prerequisite for contemplating assisting someone toward death. 1) The request to die must not stem from a treatable depression. 2) The request must not stem from treatable discomfort, symptoms, and pain. 3) The exploration of the request to die must take place within the context of a relationship between physician and patient of some duration, depth, and intimacy. The moral dilemma posed by such a request also taps into the value system of the physician, which requires exploration and definition. Only then can the request be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Klagsbrun
mesh_terms: D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role; D012945:Social Values; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D035502:Trust