Quebec doctors call for inquest after five physician suicides in five months

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, support is available 24-7 by calling or texting 988, Canada’s national suicide prevention helpline.

Over 1,500 Quebec doctors are calling for a coroner’s inquest after five doctors in the province reportedly died by suicide over a five-month period this year.

The doctors sent a letter to Quebec’s chief coroner Sept. 18 asking for an inquest into suicides in their profession.

The signatories write that doctors face death and suffering every day and take on a lot of responsibility, sometimes without adequate support.

They also say some doctors avoid getting help for mental health issues because they fear professional repercussions.

Every suicide in Quebec is investigated by a coroner, regardless of the deceased person’s profession, to establish the causes and circumstances of the death.

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Quebec’s coroner’s office told The Canadian Press it has begun an in-depth analysis of the doctors’ request.

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“For now, it is too early to comment on whether such a public inquiry will be held,” it says.

Jean-Paul Brutus, a plastic surgeon who signed the letter, says growing workloads and the public denigration of doctors — sometimes referred to in Quebec as “doctor-bashing” — contribute to psychological distress.

He says successive governments have pointed fingers at doctors for years and blamed them “for all the failings of the public system.”

“There is more and more medical-administrative pressure, more and more patients, fewer and fewer resources to help us do the work we have to do,” Brutus says.

Brutus says the well-being of health-care workers can also affect the quality of care patients receive.

“This isn’t a doctors’ problem. This isn’t a health-care workers’ problem. It’s a public health problem,” he says.

The signatories argue the available information is not detailed enough to determine whether doctor suicides are increasing.

— With files from Katrine Desautels

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, support is available 24-7 by calling or texting 988, Canada’s national suicide prevention helpline.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026.