MAiD and Mental Disorders
Presenting Author(s): Dr. Alexandra McPherson, MHSc MD FRCPC
Date and time: 22 Mar 2024 from 08:00 to 09:00
Location: Wildrose Salon A/B
Learning Objectives
1. Understand MAiD legislation in Canada and wherepermitted around the world;
2. Appreciate challenges associated with MAiD and mentaldisorders; and
3. Be aware of work done in Canada to prepare system forrequests from patients with mental disorders for MAiDassessment.
Literature References
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Abstract
MAiD and Mental Disorders is a topic of keen interest to psychiatrists across Canada. Dr. McPherson has been a MAiD assessor and provider in the Edmonton Zone since 2016. She is a board member of the Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers (CAMAP), and co-author of the recent piece in ImpactEthics, “Canadian Psychiatrists Respond: MAiD and Mental Disorders.”Dr. McPherson will share her experiences working with patients requesting and receiving MAiD, as well as recent work at the provincial and national levels in MAiD education, guideline and curriculum development, and governance. She will provide an overview of international experiences with assisted dying where it is permitted for diagnoses of mental disorders, and will review provincial care paths developed by MAiD teams and psychiatrists to manage requests from people with chronic conditions, including mental disorders.