title: Assisted suicide in the care of mentally ill patients: the Lucio Magri's case.
abstract: A year after Mario Monicelli's suicide, the death of another famous person in Italy, Lucio Magri, reawakened the Italian debate on social, ethical and juridical issues in end-of-life decisions. Unlike Monicelli, Lucio Magri decided to end his own life in Switzerland with the help of a physician because his mental illness rendered his life unbearable. Both Monicelli and Magri suffered from a severe depression. The authors analyze the ethical issues regarding the right to die for mentally ill patients and neurological disabled patients, discussing the decision-making autonomy in persons suffering from severe depression. The role of the psychiatry in the management of end-of-life decision requests is considered along with pros and cons of suicide prevention and rationale suicide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 336 Viale Regina Elena, Rome 00185, Italy; Istituto Mediterraneo di Neuroscienze Neuromed (IRCSS), Department of Pozzilli, Isernia 86077, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frati
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 336 Viale Regina Elena, Rome 00185, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gulino
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 336 Viale Regina Elena, Rome 00185, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mancarella
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 336 Viale Regina Elena, Rome 00185, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cecchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, 5, Piazzale Aldo Moro, Rome 00185, Italy; Sant'Andrea Hospital, via di Grottarossa 1035, Roma 00189, Italy. Electronic address: stefano.ferracuti@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferracuti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D057193:Medical Tourism / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D011639:Public Opinion; D012297:Right to Die / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013557:Switzerland
keywords: Assisted suicide; End-of-life decisions; Mental illness; Neurological disorders; Right to die; Suicide