Máster en Alimentación, Ética y Derecho

Cátedra UNESCO de Bioética

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"Mental health law: still no parity of esteem"

The Lancet

Imagine two people, one with depression and one with cancer.  Both  patients  are  clearly  able  to  make  rational  judgments about their treatment. They both recognise they  are  ill  and  that  there  are  consequences  to  not  receiving  treatment.  In  the  case  of  the  former,  the  fact the patient has capacity to make clear and rational decisions has no relevance; and even if fully capable, their unwillingness to consent can be overridden. In the case of the latter, their capacity is central, and proceeding to treatment  without  their  consent  would  be  an  assault.