The ethics of assisted suicide

The ethics of assisted suicide and the wisdom of changing public policy to support assisted suicide are considered from the perspective of the social work profession. The traditional social work value of client self-determination is reviewed and discussed, and tensions in this ideal and conflicts with another primary social work value--client well-being--are identified. The primacy of the client's well-being sometimes, in the professional judgment of the social worker, overrides a client's stated wish. This article finds assisted suicide unethical: Studies indicate that the judgment of most suicidal people is impaired as a result of depression or other mental illness. Truly "rational suicide" may exist but is probably quite rare compared to the overwhelming majority of suicides. In addition, assisted suicide may lead to increased rates of suicide in the general population, especially among young people, because of the contagion phenomenon and the destigmatization of suicide.