Suizidprävention im Kontext des assistierten Suizids

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

The verdict of the German Federal Constitutional Court from 26 February 2020 made it clear that every person is granted the right to end his or her own life, provided it is the person's own free will. It is also within his or her rights to utilize assistance in doing so, if such assistance is offered. This freedom to end one's life and to utilize assistance is not limited to terminal illnesses or situations of unbearable suffering. However, the High Court has also demanded that lawmakers ensure the safety of vulnerable people by making certain that the decision for suicide is in fact made out of the person's own free will. This free decision-making capability can be substantially impaired by acute psychosocial stressors, by mental illnesses but also by third party influence. Therefore, a liberalization of assisted suicide must unconditionally be accompanied by a massive strengthening of suicide prevention measures, which clearly prioritize the help to live over the help to die. This article reviews the scientifically established methods for suicide prevention and makes demands to lawmakers to comprehensively implement such measures.
Translated title of the contribution
Suicide prevention in the context of assisted suicide

Details

Original languageGerman
Pages (from-to)1112-1124
Number of pages13
JournalNervenarzt
Volume93
Issue number11
Early online dateSept 2022
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 36121450
Scopus 85138286303

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Free will, Human rights, Means restriction, Psychosocial stressors, Suicide Prevention Act