Quebec psychiatrists call for a dedicated mental health minister
The six-measure plan calls for a minister to coordinate mental health policy and curb rising homelessness and suicide, with 12,000 people visibly homeless.
- On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, the Quebec Association of Psychiatrists called on the next government to appoint a dedicated Minister of Mental Health to coordinate cross-government strategies and ensure the issue remains a priority beyond the election cycle.
- Rising mental health distress and homelessness are driving this demand, with 12,000 people now visibly homeless across Quebec, including 5,000 in Montreal—a 20 per cent increase since 2022.
- AMPQ President Dr. Claire Gamache presented critical health indicators, noting that hospitalizations for suicidal ideation among girls between 10 and 14 years old tripled between 2010 and 2023.
- The AMPQ unveiled its Mental Health 2026 platform, proposing six measures including preventing homelessness, expanding alternatives to hospitalization, and facilitating access to care through telemedicine.
- Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, health policy lead for Québec Solidaire, endorsed the psychiatrists' assessment, stating there is an urgent need for structural measures to address the province's homelessness crisis.
22 Articles
22 Articles
The Association des médecins psychiatrists du Québec wants mental health to be an electoral priority and that a minister devote himself to it in the future.
Quebec Association of Psychiatrists calling for a Minister of Mental Health
The Quebec Association of Psychiatrists (AMPQ) is concerned about the state of mental health in Quebec. On Wednesday morning, it unveiled its Mental Health 2026 platform, which proposes six measures, the first of which is to appoint a minister responsible for mental health. As the elections approach, the AMPQ invites political parties to make mental […]
MONTREAL — The portrait of mental health is worrying in Quebec, is worried by the Association des médecins psychiatrists du Québec (AMPQ). On Wednesday morning, she unveiled the Mental Health Platform 2026, which proposes six measures, the first of which is to appoint a minister responsible for mental health. In the run-up to the elections, the AMPQ invites the parties [...]
They demand concrete commitments from the parties, including the appointment of a minister responsible for this issue.
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