If anything, this highlights the absence of actual data supporting the safe provision of MAID for mental illness. On one hand, we have increasing evidence that we're not ready to safely provide psychiatric euthanasia. On the other hand, you may get a consensus of ideologues ignoring that evidence and proposing ways to provide MAID for mental illness anyway. That is not readiness. That's snake oil.
Some have argued that since we already have challenges with nebulous track 2 assessments, it would be discrimination not to extend those assessments to those with mental illness. Those ideological experts have it precisely backward. It would be the ultimate discrimination to expose those struggling with mental illness and addictions to assessors who cannot filter out suicidality, who cannot predict prognosis and whose unscientific assessments would particularly risk the most marginalized with suicide risk factors from social suffering.
We are not ready. If anything, the past three years show it is not a matter of simply thinking we can be ready in three, four or five years. This expansion should be paused until evidence—not constructed consensus—demonstrates that expansion can be done safely.
Thank you.