SynthesisEuropean psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists2025
Assessment of decisional capacity. A systematic review and analysis of instruments regarding their applicability to requests for assisted suicide.
Synthesis in European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Forensic psychiatric evaluation of legal capacity in older adults: Clinical and cognitive correlates.Journal of forensic sciences · 2026Article
- [Assisted Suicide during Treatment in a Psychiatric Day Clinic A Case Report and Clinical-Ethical Implications].Psychiatrische Praxis · 2026Article
- [Assisted suicide in Germany-initial analysis of data from a reporting platform and potential implications for the development of a guideline].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2026Article
- [Assisted suicide: assessment and evaluation of the ability to make a freely responsible decision].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2026Review
- Forensic-psychiatric and medico-legal challenges in euthanasia and assisted suicide for patients with mental disorders: balancing autonomy, vulnerability, and professional responsibility.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDecisional capacity is an important requirement for assisted suicide, which has been legalized in an increasing number of countries. While several instruments have been developed over the past few decades to assess the capacity to consent to treatment, little is known about their applicability to assessing capacity in the context of requests for assisted suicide.
methodsSystematic review of instruments assessing decisional capacity published up to March 2024. Data concerning criteria for determining decisional capacity, psychometric properties, and other aspects were extracted from all instruments included. Selected instruments were analyzed regarding their applicability to requests for assisted suicide.
resultsWe identified 23 instruments assessing the capacity to consent to treatment. There is considerable heterogeneity regarding the criteria utilized for assessing decisional capacity and their operationalization. Next to more cognitive abilities, some instruments directly incorporated emotions and values. Five instruments were assessed for applicability to requests for assisted suicide. The framing of decisional capacity within the context of disease and treatment options frequently limits the application of instruments to assess decisional capacity in the context of requests for assisted suicide.
conclusionsNo instrument could be identified that could be applied to assessing decisional capacity in the context of requests for assisted suicide without any limitations or without necessitating adjustments. Further normative and empirical work is required for developing an instrument that could be applicable in this context.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.