Allowing Euthanasia for Mental Illness Would Trigger ‘Suicide Contagion’ in Canada, Psychiatrist Warns

An empty hospital bed is pictured in a file photograph. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Canada will face a “suicide contagion” if medical assistance in dying (MAID) becomes an acceptable alternative for individuals suffering from mental distress, a psychiatrist specialized in severe mental illness told a parliamentary committee this week.

Barrie, Ont., psychiatrist John Maher told the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying in testimony on April 21 that MAID is effectively normalizing state-assisted death for people with mental illness.