The Other Side of the Straitjacket

Clinicians must assess mental capacity before approving medical assistance in dying. But what happens when the system designed to ensure safety misses what matters most?

When Donna Duncan chose medical assistance in dying (MAiD), her daughter, Alicia, searched for understanding. How had a woman struggling with mental health challenges been allowed to make such a choice?

Looking for answers, Alicia succeeded in launching a police investigation, the first in Canada. What began as a private heartbreak quickly became a matter of national controversy as she uncovered troubling gaps in medical safeguards, exposing a system that often prioritizes policy over people, especially those living at the margins. The Other Side of the Straitjacket lays bare the human cost of end-of-life legislation and the devastating consequences of unrecognized mental health struggles.