Medical Assistance in Dying and Climate Change: Four Potential Scenarios and a Call for Research

Abstract

A substantial body of research has long underscored the severe risks that global warming poses to human life, particularly if temperatures rise by 1.5°C (Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 2019). However, the latest reports indicate that the policies adopted to date would lead to a global temperature rise of almost 3°C (Romanello et al. 2023). Beyond the direct hazards, several systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and scoping reviews (Burrows et al. 2024; Thompson et al. 2023; Charlson et al. 2021) highlight a further dimension: the negative impact of climate change on mental health, as well as the risks of suicidal ideation and attempts. In fact, according to a quantitative study by Burke and colleagues (2018), “unmitigated climate change (RCP8.5) could result in a combined 9–40 thousand additional suicides (95% confidence interval) across the United States and Mexico by 2050”.