A mother from the Laurentides region asked the medical clinic responsible for her child's care to arrange virtual psychiatric consultations, but the clinic refused the request. The mother said the refusal left her child, who is currently confined at home, without the psychiatric support she believes is necessary.
The clinic did not provide a reason for the denial, and no alternative solution was offered at the time of the request. The mother expressed concern that her child's mental health needs are not being met while the child remains isolated at home.
The Association des médecins psychiatres du Québec has promoted telepsychiatry across the province as a potentially life‑saving service. In its statements, the association acknowledges that remote psychiatric care is not a complete substitute for in‑person treatment and that access to such services remains limited in many areas.
The incident highlights the gap between the provincial promotion of virtual psychiatric care and the practical availability of those services for families in regions like the Laurentides. While the association continues to advocate for broader telepsychiatry access, the mother's experience illustrates that, for some patients, the current system does not yet provide the promised support.