Navigating the Ethical Challenges of Clinical Decision-Making for Patients with Mental Illness Presenting with Self-Inflicted Burns

Complex ethical considerations can arise when patients with severe, persistent mental illness (SPMI) present with critical illness resulting from self-injury. This article presents 2 clinical cases in which a patient with SPMI was admitted with severe injuries following self-inflicted burns, with a substantial impact on their anticipated quality of life and challenges directing their medical care. In both cases, the medical teams held discussions with surrogate decision-makers in order to evaluate the patient's minimal acceptable quality of life and make medical decisions that best reflected the patient's voice and goals. These cases underscore the importance of advance care planning in SPMI, particularly the appointment of a surrogate decision-maker, and highlight the moral distress that can arise among surgical teams and trainees while caring for patients with illness resulting from self-harm. This article offers a framework for approaching decision-making in critical illness resulting from self-harm for patients with SPMI.