Assisted Dying & Mental Health Part 1, The Doctor

Blue Skies Podcast with Erin O'Toole

In the first of a two-part series on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) and mental health, Erin is joined by Dr. John Maher, a prominent psychiatrist and medical ethics expert. They discuss the risks and ethical issues related to expanding MAID to Canadians with mental injury or illness as the sole basis for the request for MAID and how this major change is dividing mental health professionals. Dr. Maher draws on his decades of experience treating marginalized patients to warn how their medical condition and sense of isolation will make them particularly vulnerable at a time when most Canadians recognize that our healthcare system is in a state of crisis and social supports for housing and addiction treatment are insufficient.