A battle he couldn’t win
Overwhelmed by depression, well-respected doctor Chris Cresswell took his own life
Awell-loved and respected Whanganui doctor took his own life while suffering from severe depres- sion.
Chris Cresswell was found dead at Matipo Park on New Year’s Eve 2016 after he had gone out riding on his mountain bike.
He was Whanganui Hospital’s acting head of the emergency department at the time as well as an active member of the Green Party.
Coroner J.P. Ryan has ruled the death was suicide and there was little that could have been done to prevent it.
He said Cresswell was adept at keeping his depression hidden.
As stipulated in the Coroner’s Act 2006, the Chronicle cannot make public the method of suicide or any suspected method.
“I am satisfied to a high degree of probability that Dr Cresswell has intentionally set out to take his own life in a background of depression,” the coroner’s report says.
“Dr Cresswell gave no indication to anybody of such an intention, and was clearly adept at masking the severity of the depression he was suffering.
“Therefore there was no opportunity for intervention which may have prevented the death.
“Given Dr Cresswell’s age, specialist knowledge and life experience, I consider that he was aware his actions would most likely result in his death.”
The report detailed how Cresswell’s body was found beside a trail at Matipo Park by a runner who first noticed a bike lying against a tree.
The runner then found Cresswell sitting under a tree and, unable to find a pulse, he went for help.
He found another cyclist walking up the trail who called emergency services and the pair performed chest compressions with instructions from emergency services staff over the phone.
Ambulance and fire service staff arrived and declared Cresswell dead.
Earlier that day, the doctor had spoken to his wife, Mandy, over the phone and told her he was going for a bike ride once he finished work.
Family friend Rochelle Bullock had also spoken to him that day
when returning some property to him. She said he appeared to be in good spirits.
Mandy Cresswell told police her husband had a “depressive episode” eight years earlier and, over the seven weeks leading to his death, had appeared depressed. He hadn’t been eating or sleeping well.
The coroner also cited evidence from Cresswell’s GP who said the doctor was fit, robust and outgoing. He had mentioned the episode of depression in 2006, the GP said.
The coroner said Cresswell had notified the Medical Council of the episode, taken several weeks off work and had t aken anti - depressants for four months.
The GP’s statement said that since the 2006 episode there had been no suggestion or record of any mental health issues or medications. The GP reported Cresswell always seemed at peace and was an able doctor with a positive outlook.
“Given Dr Cresswell’s age, specialist knowledge and life experience, I consider that he was aware his actions would most likely result in his death.
CoronerJ.P.Ryan
The release of the coroner’s report into the death of Whanganui doctor Chris Cresswell confirmed what many had suspected — that he took his own life.
That, at least, puts an end to the rumour and speculation which followed the shocking news.
But, of course, it leaves us open to greater speculation — how could it have come to this?
Dr Cresswell was an active, committed, passionate man, whether it was his work or the political causes that meant so much to him.
What could push someone with so much vitality over the edge?
The questions seem unanswerable; the act unfathomable.
The stresses of a highly pressured job, the feeling that the world is going to hell in a handcart . . . these may have contributed to what was ailing Dr Cresswell.
But depression is not something easily explained — even for someone like me who suffers mild depression and juggles the demands of a pressured job and parenthood.
One felt the same stunned bafflement at TV newsman Greg Boyed’s demise. So much to live for . . .
Chris Cresswell was a regular and valued contributor to the Chronicle and on page 2 we reproduce part of an article he wrote shortly before his death.
It concerns the overwhelming expectations of people at Christmas, something he describes as “a massive weight”.
With hindsight, it appears as a particularly revealing and poignant piece, addressing, as it does, stresses and anxiety.
New Zealand’s too-high suicide rate, particularly among males, was highlighted by the NZ Herald’s award-winning Break The Silence campaign to reduce youth suicide which prompted a more open discussion about what has for too long been a taboo subject.
The media is forbidden from reporting the means by which someone takes their own life because of the fear of copycat behaviour, but some of the restrictions around how we handle this topic have been loosened.
That said, when faced with tragedies such as Dr
Cress well’s death, one feels there is a long way to go and much more discussion needed.
"What could push someone with so much vitality over the edge?"