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Inside the Ethics Committee

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

Religion & Ethics

Joan Bakewell and a panel of experts wrestle with the ethics of a real-life medical case.

Joan Bakewell is joined by a panel of experts to wrestle with the ethics arising from a real-life medical case.

Inside the Ethics Committee: Series 11

Inside the Ethics Committee: Series 11: Episode 2: Suicide

Suicide

Episode 2

Episode 2: Suicide

Series 11

BBC Radio 4 - Inside the Ethics Committee, Series 11, Suicide

How far should a medical team go to prevent a young woman from ending her life?

How far should a medical team go to prevent a young woman from ending her life? Does there ever come a point at which the individual has the right to decide?

Samantha is coping with the recent death of her mother. It's been a turbulent few years - drug binges in her teens, then bulimia. She's now twenty two and is finding it difficult to cope.

She's prescribed antidepressants but stops taking them when she's plagued by terrifying thoughts and images of killing herself. These persist and, over the coming months, she makes two serious suicide attempts and is admitted to hospital several times.

Samantha is detained under the Mental Health Act for her own safety and is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The recommended treatment is psychotherapy. She's also offered antidepressants but the team don't think she's overtly depressed.

Samantha refuses all treatment - she's terrified of antidepressants and doesn't want to talk.

Three months on, she's discharged as the team don't think being in hospital is helping her. But her family believe it's the safest place for her.

When Samantha gets home she spends most of her time online on suicide chatrooms. The family monitor her activity and their concerns about her suicidal thoughts trigger further admissions to hospital.

However, the team are reluctant to keep her in hospital for long. They want to encourage her to take control of her life and engage with treatment, which she is still refusing. In contrast to most patients who are suicidal, Samantha seems to have the capacity to refuse treatment.

The senior psychiatrist on the team feels uneasy about the pattern that's emerging. He consults the clinical ethics committee to consider the best course of action. He also wants to know what constitutes capacity in this suicidal young woman.

Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss the issues.

Producer: Beth Eastwood.

Photo credit: Chris McGrath/ Getty Images

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Joan Bakewell and a panel of experts tackle the ethics involved in a real hospital case.

Joan Bakewell is joined by a panel of experts to tackle the ethics involved in a real hospital case.

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Episode 2: Suicide

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