Advances in medicine have increased the opportunities to prolong life and manage symptoms of terminally ill patients (Rietjens, Van der Heide, Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Van der Maas, & Van der Wal, 2006). However, prolonging life is not always the most appropriate goal for patients with an incurable illness, and hastening death may in fact be the desired goal of care, for example in the case of euthanasia . Palermo (1995) defines active euthanasia as “the killing of a patient by a physician who generally believes that the patient is terminally ill and suffering excruciating pain.” “Medically assisted suicide aims to put an end to the psychological or physiological suffering of a person who wishes to commit suicide” (Worthen & Yeatts, 2000-2001). Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay End-of-life decisions, including physician-assisted suicide, have continued to be controversial and have raised many medical, legal and ethical issues (Kopp, 2008-2009). There is no common ground or strong consensus because “euthanasia is considered both an immoral crime and an act of moral compassion” (Proulx and Jacelon, 2004). Interestingly, as members of the medical profession debate the ethics of assisted suicide, public support for the legalization of assisted suicide is increasing (Palermo, 1995). One reason why physicians, relative to the population, are more restrictive may be the liability burden associated with physician-assisted suicide (Lindblad, Lofmark, & Lynoe, 2009). Additionally, doctors may also have a paternalistic view, not trusting patients to know what is best for them (Lindblad et al., 2009). A common argument against physician-assisted suicide is that it could erode trust in medical services (Lindblad et al., 2009). However, research by Lindblad et al. (2009) found no evidence supporting the hypothesis that trust would be compromised if physician-assisted suicide were legalized. On the contrary, actions emphasizing patient autonomy could lead to increased trust in medical services (Lindblad et al., 2009). Another argument against legalizing physician-assisted suicide is that a person who requests assistance in dying may suffer from a mental health disorder that could impair their judgment (Werth & Holdwick, 2000). Clinical depression and other mental illnesses are associated with higher suicide rates, and depression is very common among terminally ill people (Werth & Holdwick, 2000). The prevalence of suicidal thoughts is higher in cancer patients who experience emotional distress (Walker et al., 2008). Before considering assisted suicide as an option, mental health professionals should definitely assess and provide treatment for any current mental disorders (Werth & Holdwick, 2000). Through their interventions, they can help improve the quality of life of the dying person, reduce the risk of suicide and possibly delay the option of euthanasia. (Werth and Holdwick, 2000). In some parts of the world, euthanasia is legal and widely accepted. The Greek roots of euthanasia lead to its meaning of “good” death (Palermo, 1995). Granda-Cameron and Houldin (2012) suggest that the definition of a good death may vary from person to person. For some, euthanasia is an acceptable option to achieve the desired characteristics of a good death, such as dying without pain,. 2004).