Son’s suicide a wake-up call
A mother who turned to working in the mental health sector speaks out for the first time since her son’s death. Kate Shuttleworth reports.
A grieving mother who lost her son to suicide six years ago has become a mental health worker in the hope of saving other lives.
Patrice Harrex’s son Brad Anderson died two days after he left Dunedin Hospital’s emergency psychiatric services after he detailed who he planned to kill himself.
Harrex was horrified lack of resources for patients that contributed to her son’s death was still affecting treatment.
She says watching families be told they can’t get access to the treatment they need like a form of ‘‘torture’’.
‘‘The state of our health is disgusting.’’
‘‘My son’s suicide was like a living hell - you never get over it.
Harrex is speaking publicly about her son’s death for the first time in the hope that more funding can become available for mental health services.
It comes as a survey found nine out of ten health workers say they are not adequately resourced.
The survey included 6000 respondents from First Union paramedics, the New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation, healthcare and hospital support staff from the E Tu union and the Public Service Association (PSA), representing mental health workers.
The coalition were launching a campaign called YesWeCare to 38 towns across the country to raise awareness of health underfunding.
Acting director of Health Workforce NZ Paul Watson said the growth in nursing and the wider medical workforce was keeping pace with population growth and was projected to continue to to find the vulnerable The state of our health service is disgusting. feels service do so.
‘‘Funding for health services continues to increase, with an extra $568 million going into Health for 2016/17, taking the total Health spend to a record $16.1 billion,’’ he said.
Today, Harrex works with around 50 families who have a family member with a mental health or addiction issue. Brad Anderson’s friends took him to Emergency Psychiatric Services after he’d told them he wanted to kill himself.
He was made to wait for hours in Dunedin Hospital’s main waiting room before he was seen by a nurse.
He gave a detailed outline of how he planned to attempt suicide.
They asked him to stay the night. He refused, but agreed to see both his GP and the community alcohol and drug counselling service the next day.
Two days later the 25-year-old IT consultant described by Patrice as ’’your typical tall, dark and handsome’’ was dead.
His friends, family and the police searched for Brad as he sat dead in his car on a remote bush road south of Dunedin, he was found by his friends three days later.
Harrex had no idea her son had been to hospital, let alone that he’s wanted to take his life.
She believed if her son had seen a psychiatrist and been forced to stay overnight he might still be alive.
‘‘Cases such as these are tragic and we extend our sympathy to Brad’s family. The current practice is that all those presenting with mental health needs go initially to the emergency department and are Lifeline: Suicide Crisis Helpline: Depression Helpline: Youthline: sent to triage - a practice that has increased the accessibility of this service,’’ said Brad Strong, the medical director of mental health and addiction Southern DHB
The Coroner said he should have been treated faster and in a secure and private setting and received appropriate follow-up.
‘‘I don’t know if they’d done more if he’d still be here - maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t.’’
The health board were approached for comment but were unable to provide a response in services at the the timeframe given.
Anderson was working as an consultant at Otago University the time of his death.
A year before his death Anderson’s family started noticing some ‘‘out of character’’ behaviour and were concerned about his mental health.
He went to a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with adult ADHD and showed signs of depression IT at and anxiety Ritalin.
Harrex believed her son hadn’t been properly diagnosed. He had started drinking heavily and was found drink driving twice.
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