Suicide and the State: The Ethics of Involuntary Hospitalization for Suicidal Patients

Authors

  • Catherine Elizabeth Bonn

Keywords:

ethics, suicide, hospitalization

Abstract

This essay explores the ethical issues surrounding the public policy of involuntarily hospitalizing patients believed to be in imminent danger of committing suicide.   In particular, the article explores whether there is a right to suicide, whether committing suicide can be completely voluntary, and whether the typical terms of involuntary hospitalization are an appropriate response to a patient expressing suicidal ideation.

Downloads

Published

2010-10-04

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2010)

Section

Special Essay Section: Ethics and Public Policy

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

    1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

    1. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

  1. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).