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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/195880
Persons with mental disorders and assisted dying practices in Spain: an overview
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On 25 June 2021, the Law on Euthanasia in Spain came into force, providing for two modes of helping an individual end their life: euthanasia and/or medically assisted suicide. Among the requisites that a request for euthanasia has to fulfil are that the individual must be suffering a severe, chronic and debilitating condition or a severe and incurable disease, at the same time as that person shows the necessary competence to decide. The possibility exists that a patient suffering mental health problems submits such a request; however, the specific characteristics of a mental health disorder make such a request considerably more complex. In this article, based on a narrative review of the law itself and the related literature, the requisites established under the law are analysed from an ethical-legal perspective with the aim of defining when a request for euthanasia from a person with a mental health disorder may be deemed legitimate and in line with legal provisions. This should help clinicians make rational, reasoned decisions when dealing with a request of this type.
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RAMOS POZÓN, Sergio, et al. Persons with mental disorders and assisted dying practices in Spain: an overview. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. 2023. Vol. 87. ISSN 0160-2527. [consulted: 12 of August of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/195880