| Abstract: |
This chapter provides a broad overview of the reasons for, assessment of, and possible responses to suicidality and desire for hastened death (DHD) in those with advanced medical illness. Psychotherapeutic approaches have also shown effectiveness in reducing depression and DHD in terminally ill cancer patients. It is crucial for researchers and clinicians working in palliative care settings to understand the risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI) and DHD as many patients may express thoughts about death and dying even when they are not considering hastening their death. The loss of a patient or family member to an unanticipated suicide can be traumatic for family members as well as for the patient's healthcare providers. Assessment of suicide risk varies across studies, and no gold standard approach currently exists for palliative care or even general medical settings. The importance of clinical interventions for patients at risk for suicide or expressing clinically significant DHD is clear. Many safeguards exist before a physician hastened death request is granted, and these have important implications for broader questions about how to respond to patient expressions of SI or DHD more generally. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) |
