NUEVA LEY DE EUTANASIA EN ESPAÑA. ACTUALIDAD Y CONTRIBUCIONES DESDE LA PSICOLOGÍA DE LA SALUD

Abstract

In 2021, euthanasia was legalized in Spain and integrated into the National Health System's services, thus becoming a new alternative for terminally ill adults with great suffering. People demanding this practice endure biopsychosocial and spiritual distress along the process, and so Psychology plays a key role in their care. There is therefore a demand for interdisciplinary intervention programs, adapted to the Spanish context, and based in previous experience and the scientific knowledge collected in other countries where this practice was already legislated. The Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Meaning Centered Therapy and Dignity Therapy are amongst the end-of-life interventions more developed; however their results need more replication. The National Health System constitutes an optimal setting in order to implement these programs, being necessary to strengthen the Health Psychology, so it can assume this task with adequate conditions.