Inquest into the disappearance and suspected death of Sana Salman

34y · Female·not able to be determined - body not found

Sana Salman, a 34-year-old woman with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder, went missing on 1 September 2022 after being discharged from Northern Beaches Hospital on 22 August 2022. She had been admitted for a psychotic relapse with paranoid delusions related to poor medication compliance. Despite recent improvement during hospitalisation and community mental health follow-up, Sana travelled to North Head on 1 September and was last seen on CCTV at 1:01pm walking towards North Head. Extensive search and investigation efforts found no trace of her. The coroner concluded she is deceased but could not determine when, where, or how she died. Clinical lessons include the vulnerability of patients with psychotic disorders post-discharge, the critical importance of medication compliance monitoring, and the risk of deterioration in unfamiliar environments. Earlier recognition of her psychological vulnerability and more intensive post-discharge support may have altered the outcome.