| GENERAL INFORMATION
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| KEYWORDS
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Marine medical certificate, mental health, psychotic illness, medication
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| FILE NO.
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MH-0212-28
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| SECTOR (Marine or Aviation)
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Marine
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| SPECIFIC JOB
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| DIAGNOSIS (Primary, Secondary, etc.)
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Two psychotic episodes
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| REVIEW
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| DATE OF DETERMINATION
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July 31, 2014
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| MEMBER
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Dr. Christopher Brooks
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| DETERMINATION
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The member agrees with the Minister’s decision.
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| REASONS FOR THE DETERMINATION
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Refusal to issue a marine medical certificate (MMC) — Following two psychotic episodes and continuing mental illness, Transport Canada made the decision not to issue the applicant an MMC. The applicant is still undergoing very active treatment, seeing a psychiatrist every three months, and taking powerful medication after five years from his initial hospital admission. The fact that his visits and medication have not been reduced suggests that his mental state has not shown clear signs of a complete recovery to his pre-morbid condition. The member is not persuaded with the argument of the applicant’s representative that a possible misdiagnosis of schizophrenia may have clouded the Minister’s decision, irrespective of whether the diagnosis was schizophrenia or an atypical psychiatric syndrome. In the applicant’s case, with a history of two episodes of psychosis and the risk of recurrence, the member agrees with the Minister’s decision not to issue him an MMC.
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| APPEAL
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| DATE OF DECISION
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| MEMBERS
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| DECISION
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| REASONS FOR THE DECISION
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| OTHER/COMMENTS
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