48-year-old actress wants medically assisted suicide - her psychiatrists are divided

A 48-year-old actor from Canada has said that she wants to end her life due to struggling with severe mental health illness for decades.

Claire Brosseau lives in Toronto and said in her life she has had an 'embarrassment of riches', including travel, a good job, and people who love her.

But Claire has also suffered from a series of debilitating mental health conditions since she was a child.

These have included manic depression, anxiety disorder, substance abuse disorder, and chronic suicidal ideation, as well as a whole host of other conditions which she has struggled with for decades.

Despite trying several forms of treatment for her conditions over the years, Claire still suffers with her mental health.

Claire has lost count of the number of times that she has tried to end her life, attempting suicide in a variety of ways.

Claire felt hope at the prospect of being able to die with medical assistance (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Now, Claire has found a new option at the centre of a controversial debate in Canada - a potential way for her to legally end her life with medical assistance.

This would change the law to allow people who are not diagnosed with a terminal condition to legally end their lives.

But psychiatrists who have worked with Claire are divided by this.

Dr. Gail Robinson is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto who has worked with Claire and says that this is a reasonable option for her.

She told the New York Times: “I would love her to change her mind. I would hope that she would not have to do this. But I will support her.”

Dr Robinson argues that Claire is being discriminated against due to her health condition being mental rather than physical.

However, another psychiatrist who has worked with Claire, Dr Mark Fefergrad, is adamant that medical assistance in dying, or 'MAID', is not the right option for Claire.

Claire has struggled with her mental health since she was a teenager (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

“I believe she can get well,” he said. “I don’t think MAID is the best or only choice for her.”

The question poses a big problem for the psychiatrists, who have tried every treatment option available but seemingly to no avail.

For her part, Claire has previously said that medically assisted dying would give her the opportunity to die in a way which is more compassionate, as opposed to an alternative which may be extremely painful or even violent.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.