The documentary about Gaétan Girouard asks an important question

TVA will air the documentary tomorrow Gaétan Girouard: Shockwave, About the star journalist who took his own life on January 14, 1999.

• Read More – Kayden Girouard: Shockwave: “For us, the documentary was very useful”

Produced by Jean-Philippe Dion and directed by Maude Sabagh, this documentary (which avoids any hype and pays a touching tribute to this “footed giant of clay”) asks a good question…

To what extent should we respect the professional confidentiality that binds psychologists to patients?

What's more important: honoring this bond at all costs…or doing everything possible to save the patient?

Privacy: How Far?

In general, Girouard acted in concrete.

From the forehead round the head, to hesitation, no closed door could resist him. Like Yves Poirier, co-host, who doggedly pursues the accused of a remote-controlled missile launched by a North Korean submarine. JE A boss can stamp a microphone a millimeter from his face without blinking or swallowing.

But in life, Girouard was fragile.

He suffered severe depression and no one knew it.

Gaétan Girouard consulted a doctor a few days before the move.

If this doctor had been able to tell Girouard's partner that her husband was depressed, could she have helped him? If Gaétan Girouard had consulted a psychologist and talked to his partner, would it have changed anything?

This is the question Jean-Philippe Dion asks in his documentary.

It's an important question that all those close to those who have taken their own lives from depression have asked themselves.

It's all well and good, the bond of confidentiality that binds doctors to patients…

But when the person is in bad shape, shouldn't this confidentiality agreement be broken for the benefit of the patient?

At what point does this agreement serve to further isolate the patient and further his mental imprisonment, instead of helping to liberate him?

“The government needs to respond because there are clearly problems with professional confidentiality in mental health,” said Jean-Philippe Dion. This will be my job for the next few years.

Break the silence

Imagine that your minor daughter consults a psychologist because she has dark thoughts. You completely ignore this fact.

Don't you want to know that your daughter is thinking of ending her life?

At the same time, those at the end of their tether have better reflexes to seek advice because they know their conversations will be confidential. And we don't alert their loved ones (which in some cases can be part of the problem rather than the solution)…

In short, it's not easy.

But we need to talk about it. That's what this fantastic documentary does, and you should watch it tomorrow at 9pm.

PS: If you have dark thoughts, feel free to call 1 866 APPELLE.