Proper follow-up with patients needed before doctors retire, Quebec coroner says [Video]

A Quebec coroner has raised concerns with the follow-up provided to patients with mental health issues following the tragic suicide of a father of two who lost his family doctor because he retired.

The man, who was in his 40s, lived in a small city in Quebec’s Montérégie region and died by suicide in the summer of 2023.

According to a report by Coroner Josée Castonguay, the man had a history of mental health issues for several years and was prescribed an anti-depressant following a previous suicide attempt. He suffered from social phobia, which is described as “an intense fear of being exposed to the gaze and judgment of others, creating significant anxiety and suffering,” in the report.

However, the man was not being treated by a psychologist or any mental health professional and was left with no medical follow-up “since he no longer had a family doctor, following his …