Voluntary Assisted Dying and Complex Grief

Life throws up a lot of options, challenges and choices and death comes to us all.  Voluntary assisted dying is an end of life option for  a small number of people in Australia but has brought about a lot of conversation and debate.  In this podcast Associate Professor Melanie Turner who is a psychiatrist and also the presiding in member of the Voluntary assisted dying Review Board of South Australia speaks to Dr Ava Carter about assisted dying.  VAD started on January 31 2023 in South Australia and it has been an interesting journey to see the evolution of VAD in that time. The podcast covers what voluntary assisted dying is; how it is offered and the aspects of grief, loss and death when a death is planned.

Prof Melanie Turner is an Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide and works as a child and adolescent psychiatrist in private practice in South Australia.  Mel is also an elected board director on the RANZCP Board, is the presiding member of the voluntary assisted dying review board in South Australia as well as a Member of the Medical Board of South Australia and a director on the board of Mental Health Australia.

Dr Ava Carter is dual qualified in Dentistry and Medicine and is the Senior Psychiatric Registrar in the ACT. She has been a vocal advocate for accreditation and governance since her time at Griffith University as an academic supervisor and lecturer as a dentist and currently works with the Canberra Regional Accreditation Committee and was appointed to the Council in 2021. She is keenly engaged in JMO teaching and academic supervision of ANU medical students, and an enthusiastic promoter of clinical psychiatry, research, and clinical teaching, both within mental health services and across the general hospital. Her interests include consultation liaison psychiatry, the interface of dentistry and psychiatry, and medical education. 

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This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.