The suicide of a patient who sought medical help after a relationship breakdown suggests GPs need more support to spot the more nuanced signs of domestic violence, a coroner says.

The 52-year-old had a long history of depression, a previous suicide attempt 13 years earlier and was described by her GP as a vulnerable person due her history of childhood abuse.

Her physical health had also been declining over the past five years, her husband told the Victorian coroner’s court, and she struggled with prolapsed discs, spinal arthritis, fibromyalgia, Graves’ disease and insomnia.

In late 2017, she attended an urgent care centre north-west of Melbourne, complaining of anxiety and inability to cope following the breakdown of her marriage.