As far as I know, relying once again on the data provided by the experts, I see that some data indicates that psychiatrists and physician providers of medical assistance in dying can assess the patients.

It's also very important to understand that some of the patients who request medical assistance in dying, or who are currently eligible for it as a result of physical diseases, also suffer from mental health issues. Their capacity to make decisions for themselves is therefore accurately assessed.

What's more, in my clinical practice, particularly in surgery, we also regularly work with patients who have mental health problems. You also have to assess those patients' suicidality and capacity to make decisions.

For example, if a 40-year-old patient suffering from abdominal pain tells his physician that he doesn't want surgery and would prefer to die, that patient will obviously undergo a psychiatric assessment, be treated and then be treated for the physical issue. The same is true for all physical diseases.

So physicians, generally speaking, are in the habit of assessing patients' capacity in their everyday clinical practice, where necessary, of course.

I'm absolutely convinced that very few patients with mental health issues would request medical assistance in dying for the simple reason that significant safeguards have been established in response to the expert panel's recommendations.

Medical assistance in dying may not be administered to individuals who simply appear one morning and request it. To be eligible, they must have been suffering for many decades, and attempts must have been made to administer all treatments.

Note, however, that no one is required to try all the treatments. The patient is free to reject them, as provided under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Of course, if we're talking about a patient suffering solely from mental health issues who requests medical assistance in dying, they will have to have undergone a certain number of treatments. However, it's false to say that all possible treatments must be attempted because that would violate the Charter.

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