Thank you.
I'll just begin by saying I absolutely echo and support everything my colleague Mr. Henick has just said.
My name is Dr. Eric Kelleher. I'm a consultant liaison psychiatrist working at Cork University Hospital, Ireland, and an honorary clinic senior lecturer at University College Cork. I'm a member of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland, where I'm a vice-chair of the faculty of liaison psychiatry and a member of the human rights and ethics committee. I'm also co-author of our college's position paper on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, in which we oppose legislation to allow physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in Ireland. One of our greatest concerns about this type of legislation is that such laws will be extended over time to include patients with mental illness, the position many patients with mental illness in Canada are now facing.
I'm speaking to you tonight, though, in a personal capacity. I thank the committee for their kind invitation.
I will summarize my opinion to three points.
My first is that in enacting this legislation, the Canadian government is sending a very clear message to patients with mental illness that not only is it acceptable to end your own life, but that the government will, in fact, help you to do so. This will forever damage not only the relationship that exists between mental health professionals and their patients but also how patients see themselves and their illnesses.
Being suicidal is a core part of diagnostic criteria for depression, some psychotic illnesses and certain personality disorders, all mental disorders that are eminently treatable with multidisciplinary team care.
Proponents of this legislation will tell you that there are distinct differences between a person who has a depressive illness who is suicidal and a person who has a depressive illness who is choosing MAID, when in reality it will be impossible for clinicians or assessors to distinguish between the two.
Mental illness, if any of you have been unlucky enough to experience it, does alter your view of yourself, your world and your future. The illnesses themselves generate hopelessness, lethargy, avoidance and non-compliance with treatment by their very nature. The integral part of what psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professions do is to identify and treat mental illness, restore hope and support the patient at some of the most difficult times of their life. How can mental health professionals and Canadian suicide prevention strategists say to patients with mental illness that we encourage you not to end your life when MAID for mental illness would allow you to do so?
This brings me to my second point.
It is the duty of the Canadian government, and the government in Ireland or indeed anywhere in the world, to protect its most vulnerable citizens and ensure that legislation does not cause harm. Those who develop mental illness such as depression and suicidal thoughts are more likely to be poor, uneducated and disenfranchised and to have experienced childhood trauma, including sexual abuse.
In the Netherlands, 60% of patients who received euthanasia were described as lonely and socially isolated. Research shows that women are more likely to experience clinical depression and experience abuse, and are also more likely than men to access MAID for mental illness——