Classic Psychedelics and Rational Suicide in the Elderly: Exploring the Potential Utility of a Reemerging Treatment Paradigm

Abstract

Whether suicide might be considered rational in any circumstance is a matter of debate and beyond the scope of the present chapter. It is acknowledged, however, that some individuals may express the desire to end their lives in the absence of obvious and diagnosable mental health conditions. Such 'rational' suicidality may be concentrated among the elderly and driven by a sense of hopelessness about a future that promises little beyond pain, isolation, decline, and ultimate demise (as discussed in this text). The purpose of this chapter is to explore the potential utility of classic psychedelics in reversing this view of a future marked by suffering and devoid of meaning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)