Author: Raneem Baalbaki

Young Adults and Their Families Living with Mental Illness: Evaluation of The Usefulness of Family-Centered Support Conversations in Community Mental Health Care Settings by Aass et al.

Raneem Baalbaki

Aass, Lisbeth Kjelsrud et al. “Young Adults and Their Families Living with Mental Illness: Evaluation of The Usefulness of Family-Centered Support Conversations in Community Mental Health Care Settings” Journal of Family Nursing, vol. 26, no. 4, November 2020, pp. 302-314.

In this journal article, four experimental psychologists from Norwegian University of Science and Technology studied how mental illness effect young adults’ self-esteem, optimism, confidence, and just going about their everyday life. They explain that while the patients are suffering mentally their families and those around them feel the effects of it too. Families and friends close to the person suffering mentally must not only watch as the person they care about loses a different battle repeatedly, but they must have the mental capacity and strength to be there when they ask them to help them get back up. This article can be of use for my final paper because it helps further prove the point that living with a severe mental disorder effect everyone. If a third person can feel the effects of a disorder imagine what the diagnosed person is feeling.

-“The well-being of siblings of an individual with a severe mental disorder like psychosis has also been shown to be negatively affected as they experience challenges in relation to be a sibling” (Aass et al. 303).

-“Relatives of inpatients with depression report that health problems, burdens, and worries in everyday life are challenging. Their lives are often very intertwined with the life of their severely mentally ill family member” (Aass et al. 302-303).

On The Basis of Suffering: The Legal and Ethical Reasons Why Persons with Unbearable Suffering from Psychiatric Illness Should Be Eligible for Assisted Dying Under the End-of-Life Choice Act 2019 by Kieran Courtney Berry

Raneem Baalbaki

Berry, Kieran Courtney. “On The Basis of Suffering: The Legal and Ethical Reasons Why Persons with Unbearable Suffering from Psychiatric Illness Should Be Eligible for Assisted Dying Under the End-of-Life Choice Act 2019” The University of Auckland, 2021.

In this academic article the main idea is revolved around the end-of-life choice act (EOLCA). Courtney Kieran Berry, a Master of Law graduate who works as a legal and research counsel for the office of the chief coroner in New Zealand, explains how assisted dying is permissible if: a competent person requests it, they already have a terminal illness likely to end their life within six months, and they experience unbearable pain. She then goes on to explain that EOLCA unlawfully discriminates against people who have psychiatric illnesses because there is no reason to turn someone suffering from mental disorder away if they are suffering just as much. This academic article will be helpful for me in my paper because Berry exhibits how there is no legal or ethical reason to prohibit people with unbearable suffering from mental disorders from assisted suicide.

– “If the primary justification for assisted dying is to relieve suffering, then there is no justification for Parliament to exclude people with unbearable suffering from a psychiatric illness” (Berry).

– “Consequently, persons suffering unbearably from a grievous and irremediable psychiatric illness cannot access assisted dying to end their suffering. The exclusion occurs, not just by application of the eligibility criteria but, is also Parliament’s express intention” (Berry).

Assisted Suicide Study Questions Its Use for Mentally Ill by Benedict Carey

Raneem Baalbaki

Carey, Benedict. “Assisted Suicide Study Questions Its Use for Mentally Ill” The New York Times, 10 February 2016.

In this newspaper article by Benedict Carey, a former science reporter for The Times and a health and medical writer for The Los Angeles Times, a freelance journalist, and a staff writer for Heath Magazine, he begins by explaining how assisted suicide for those with psychological disorders is becoming something talked about more and more. At least three countries — Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland — allow assisted dying for those suffering mentally and places such as Canada are debating whether to take that step. Carey goes to on explain cases of patients who had different types of mental disorders that coexist with each other, and they described living with the disorder.

– “The depression was often mixed with other problems, like substance abuse, mild dementia or physical pain. More than half had received a diagnosis of a personality disorder, like avoidant or dependent personality, which are typically bound up with relationship problems. The group also included people with diagnoses of eating disorders and autism spectrum conditions. Many reported being intensely lonely” (Carey).

– “A team of doctors…reported that most people who sought doctor-assisted death for psychiatric problems had depression, personality disorders or both” (Carey).

Public and Physicians Support for Euthanasia in People Suffering from Psychiatric Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study by Evenblij et al.

Raneem Baalbaki

Evenblij, Kirsten et al. “Public and Physicians Support for Euthanasia in People Suffering from Psychiatric Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study” BMC Medical Ethics, vol. 20, 11 September 2019.

In this Journal Article, five research psychologist from Amsterdam University’s medical center wanted to study whether the public would support assisted suicides for patients who suffer from mental disorders. they handed out surveys to the public and physicians. Their results showed that most of the public believed people with psychiatric disorders should be eligible for assisted suicides and the majority of psychiatrists thought that if no other options where available then they should respect their patients request. I think this journal article will be helpful for me in my final essay because it shows both sides to the story. Whether it be the public—people who don’t know the medical side of things—or the psychiatrists—the people who can decide whether all options have been thought through—the majority still believe it should be a patient’s decision at the end of the day.

– “The general public shows more support than opposition as to whether patients suffering from a psychiatric disorder should be eligible for [assisted suicides] …Physicians’ support depends on their specialization; 39% of psychiatrists considered performing [assisted suicides]” (Evenblij et al.).

– “Of the general public 53% were of the opinion that people with psychiatric disorders should be eligible for EAS, 15% was opposed to this, and 32% remained neutral” (Evenblij et al.).

Exploring Differences in Quality of Life in Clinical Populations of Depressed Outpatients with And Without Personality Disorders by Kool et al.

Raneem Baalbaki

Kool, Marit et al. “Exploring Differences in Quality of Life in Clinical Populations of Depressed Outpatients with And Without Personality Disorders” Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 282, 7 January 2021, pp. 1125-1131.

In this journal article eight mental health psychologist from the university of Amsterdam talk about the differences in the quality of life in those who suffer from depression and personality disorders than those who don’t. personality disorders, mood disorders and depression tend to co-exist. That the thing about mental disorders it’s never just one thing it’s a little bit of something here and there to ultimately create a disorder. Patients with depression have reported to have an extremely low quality of life compared to those who don’t suffer from depression as well as those who suffer from personality disorders. this article will be very helpful to me for my final paper because it gives statistical evidence that a disorder as common as depression has a lower quality of life than a rare personality disorder. that means that more and more peoples quality of life is decreasing as their depression gets worse.

– “Patients in the depression-only group reported a lower quality of life compared to patients who suffered from comorbid diagnoses of depression and [personality disorders]. When subdividing the comorbid group, this difference was statistically significant for the depression + [personality disorders] group, but not for the [personality disorder] + depression group” (Kool et al. 1129)

– “Both depressive disorders and [personality disorders] are highly invalidating conditions that affect the quality of life of patients” (Kool et al. 1125)

When Death Is Sought: Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the Medical Context by New York State

Raneem Baalbaki

New York State Task Force on Life and the Law. “The Epidemiology of Suicide” When Death Is Sought: Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the Medical Context, New York State, April 2011, pp. 11.

In this book by the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law, chapter one talks about what it means to be suicidal and the thought process behind it. Suicide is the eighth leading causa of death in the U.S. Suicide is not the result of a little problem or a crisis someone is going through. Personal characteristics are associated with a higher risk of committing suicide. Society has tried its best to prevent suicide and has even seen attempts as a cry for help or the need for psychiatric treatment. Because of this the thought of patients being allowed to go through with assisted suicides seems wrong and seems to challenge the belief that suicide should be prevented. This book chapter goes into detail about suicide and how assisted suicides challenge society’s beliefs and norms, and this is information that will be very helpful for me in my final essay.

– “The common stimulus to suicide is intolerable psychological pain.  Suicide represents an escape or release from that pain” (New York State 11)

– “Studies that examine the psychological background of individuals who kill themselves show that 95 percent have a diagnosable mental disorder at the time of death.  Depression, accompanied by symptoms of hopelessness and helplessness, is the most prevalent condition among individuals who commit suicide” (New York State 11)

Euthanasia Spreads in Europe by Wesley J. Smith

Raneem Baalbaki

Smith, Wesley J. “Euthanasia Spreads in Europe.” National Review, 26 October 2011.

In this article by Wesley J. Smith, a lawyer and an award-winning author who is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institutes Center on Human Exceptionalism and is also a consultant to the Patient’s rights Council, talks about how allowing assisted suicides for patients suffering for psychiatric disorders is wrong and should not be allowed. He goes on to explain how we shouldn’t be supporting suicide but trying our best to stop it. Smith brings to light how at one point in time we stopped trying to keep people alive even though it could be a long and difficult process and started agreeing that dying would a much easier way out even though that is the exact thought process we are trying to avoid. This article will help for the opposing paragraph in my final paper.

– “The assisted-suicide movement has eroded society’s commitment to suicide prevention. It has created an atmosphere where many people now see ‘dead’ as better than ‘dying’ and suicide as a valid remedy” (Smith)

– “This is cause for great worry, for, once a society embraces doctor prescribed death as an acceptable answer to human suffering or as some kind of fundamental liberty right, there are no brakes” (Smith)