Inquest hears of attempts to help drug user
HE SEEMED TO FALL BETWEEN THE CRACKS, SAYS MUM
THE roles of mental health and drug services are being examined at the inquest of Jay Gascoigne.
The 22-year-old, of Dunston, Gateshead, also known as Jay Kerrigan, had been fighting severe mental health problems from an early age.
He was battling obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression and drug abuse for many months before he was found dead in April 2016.
The inquest has previously heard that he died after a drug overdose. Doctors found evidence of a range of drugs, including morphine, cannabis and sedatives benzodiazepines, in his system.
His mum Anna Kerrigan described how her son felt “cracked and broken” in the days before his death.
She said the family felt Jay, nephew of former Newcastle United footballer Paul Gascoigne, “seemed to fall between the cracks of mental health and drug services”, with neither able to offer the sort of help he felt he needed, even seeking private treatment at the Manor clinic in Southampton, which had treated his uncle in the past.
In the months before his death, Jay was hospitalised a number of times. Mrs Kerrigan said he “begged for help” from doctors and the mental health crisis team.
On the second day of the inquest, held in Hebburn, staff from the Evolve drug and alcohol service explained what support they had given to Jay, while a consultant psychiatrist described her team’s role.
It was said a recovery plan had been formed by Evolve to support Jay with his drug and alcohol problems, however they were not in a position to help with his mental health.
Meanwhile, he had been in contact with a psychiatry team for his mental health issues. He had been seen by mental health experts since his childhood, however his adult stint began in 2013 after a referral from his GP.
Dr Katharine Rees, consultant psychiatrist, said a decision was made in July 2015 to discharge Jay from secondary mental health services because it was felt his drug problems needed to be addressed at that stage. He was, however, told he could be referred to them again.
Dr Rees said: “We discharged him from the service but he could be referred again.
“It was not the case that he did not have mental health problems. At that stage, the primary issue was the drug and alcohol use. We always knew he had mental health issues.”
She explained that a person would not be able to engage with OCD therapy when they were taking drugs in “an erratic and sporadic manner”.
“Where people get intrusive thoughts, where people feel increasingly anxious, they have to challenge their thoughts and learn to tolerate the anxiety,” she added.
“If there’s drugs and alcohol to block out that anxiety, they are not learning how to tolerate it.
“They need to be stabilised in drug and alcohol use to use the therapy.”
Later that year, Jay had further contact with NHS services after an overdose in December and more assessments were carried out.
The inquest continues.