Amicus Curiae Brief for the United States Supreme Court on Mental Health, Terminal Illness, and Assisted Death

Abstract

The Supreme Court will hear the case of Gonzales v. Oregon in the fall of2005 to determine if prescriptions written under Oregon's Death with Dignity law violate the Controlled Substances Act. The Attorney General of the United States also believes that hastening death is a public health danger because of the vulnerability of people with terminal illness, primarily because of the possibility of depression or other psychological problems. This friend of the court brief will help to inform the court about the research related to mental capacity, depression, and end-of-life decision making. The National Association of Social Workers, Clinical Social Work Federation, Oregon Chapter of NASW, two state psychological associations, and many mental health professionals signed this brief in support of its findings.