I work, most weeks, with people who have mood disorders and psychosis. A fair number of them, from time to time, want to ehdn their lives. My job is to engender hope. To remind them that this storm will pass. And it is my duty to discourage suicide when possible: the fact that a person wants to kill themselves is grounds in New Zealand to invoke the mental health act.

For that, we are criticised as being fascist, paternalistic. But people have not considered the alternatives. If death is an option, it will be taken, at times against the clear teaching of medical ethics and the church.

Belgium’s Catholic bishops have made a strong statement opposing euthanasia.

They are responding to complaints that several Belgian Brothers of Charity-run psychiatric hospitals say euthanasia is allowed in its institutions.

The Brothers care for about 5,000 psychiatric patients in Belgium.

While acknowledging the pain a person suffering from a psychiatric illness can experience, it is “precisely in this situation that we must remain close to [the sufferer] and not abandon him,” the bishops said.

Looking at the bigger picture, permitting euthanasia would be “attacking the very foundations of our civilization,” they added.

They said throughout human history there’s been a prohibition on euthanasia, which is why they are calling for “great restraint and continuing dialogue on these issues.”

Brother René Stockman, the superior general of the Brothers of Charity has made a formal request to the reverse the decision and had contacted the Vatican about it.

He says the Vatican is investigating his complaint.

These Catholic agencies are not Christian. The Bishops are giving the clear teaching of all branches of the church and at all times. Belgium is an example of the slippery slope at work. The best thing is to not go down it.

Using data on all euthanasia cases officially reported in Belgium from the introduction of euthanasia legislation in 2002 until 2013, this study shows that the number and proportion of euthanasia cases with psychiatric disorders or dementia has gradually increased since 2008. Cases where any physical condition was reported by the attending physician in the euthanasia registration form were excluded from the analysis. The increase is particularly evident in cases with a diagnosis of mood disorder. However, in comparison with the total number of reported cases, euthanasia for these specific groups remains a limited practice.

Because of its controversial nature, the notable increase in euthanasia cases in people with a diagnosis of mood disorder or dementia warrants some exploration of the possible underlying reasons and significance. The trend seems to suggest that the legal possibilities of the euthanasia law are being explored more widely and have become more broadly accepted. Previous research had already shown an increase in euthanasia in groups where the practice was initially much rarer, such as those suffering from conditions other than cancer and those who are not terminally ill . This may reflect a typical process of change where certain groups (both patients and their physicians) slowly explore and adapt to new legal possibilities. The several years of accumulated experience with euthanasia and the transparency about each case required by the law may have caused an increased uptake of the euthanasia option in groups that were not initially considered to be the target demographic. Additionally, heightened media attention in cases that are often controversial  may have increased awareness among the general public of the legal possibilities in cases of psychiatric disorder or dementia. Landmark examples in Belgium, for instance, include the case of the euthanasia of Belgian writer Hugo Claus, who suffered from early Alzheimer’s disease,

Mood disorders remit. They are painful, but they remit. The idea that those with such would be legally killed is repugnant. It assumes that there is no value in life. It makes doctors murderers

May this not be. May this never be.