Mother’s cry for help before son’s suicide

The mother of a 25-year-old man who died by suicide told an inquest into his death she was looking for help but didn’t get it.

The man, with an address on the outskirts of Galway city, took his own life in November, 2016, following his discharge a month earlier from University Hospital Galway’s Psychiatric Unit.

His mother told Coroner for Galway West, Dr Ciarán MacLoughlin, that her son was admitted to hospital on September 21, 2017 and was an in-patient for 18 days.

She was critical of the decision to discharge her son and, in particular, the lack of notice given to her that he would be coming home.

She said she had tried to meet with hospital staff but had been left waiting so long on one occasion, she had to return to work.

“I was surprised when they rang and told me he was being discharged; nobody asked did he have somewhere to go.

“Yes, he was an adult, but he was still a sick adult,” she said.

She told the Coroner’s Court that once her son left the hospital, he refused to take the medication that had been prescribed for him.

“He wasn’t willing to go to the pharmacy to get medication – he just wasn’t right,” she said. “He thought this medication was killing him.”

Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Camilla Hennelly, treated the deceased at hospital during his admission in September 2017.

Speaking to the inquest, Dr Hennelly said he was a self-referred patient and that it had been his first presentation to the services.

“He presented with a three- month history of low mood, poor appetite, broken sleep and paranoid and suicidal ideation.

“He had been drinking for two years previously culminating in low mood,” said Dr Hennelly.

“He was abstinent on presentation for a period of two to three months,” she added.

She said he had been on anti-depressants but compliance had been an issue and he could not recall the name of them when asked.

In the early stages of his admission, he was placed on level two observations which involved him being checked every 15 minutes by a psychiatric nurse.

He was also prescribed anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs, explained Dr Hennelly.

“He engaged with the therapist and a recovery care plan was put in place and this was discussed with his mother.

“He denied any cravings for alcohol during his admission and on September 25, following review by me, I increased his anti-depression medication,” said Dr Hennelly.

She said on October 2, his depression symptoms were abating, as was his suicidal ideation.

“By October 9, I was satisfied that he should be discharged for therapeutic reasons,” said Dr Hennelly, before explaining that certain services are not available to psychiatric patients while they remain in hospital.

He was advised to attend the day hospital and group therapy sessions and was told of the importance of taking any medication prescribed for him.

Coroner, Dr MacLoughlin, said it was all very well to say he wasn’t displaying psychosis at this point.

“He was dead within a month by his own hand.

“There seems to me an awful lot of concern by his mother and it would appear that concern wasn’t taken on board by a lot of other people,” said Dr MacLoughlin.

His mother said her son did not leave the house for a month after discharge; had been so afraid at night that he was sleeping in the bed with her; and he refused to take any medication.

She said she had tried to contact Dr Hennelly at one point but she was on leave and her call was never returned.

Dr Hennelly said she was never made aware that her patient’s mother had called upon her return.

The deceased’s mother said she had reached despair on October 13 and called for an ambulance, only for the paramedics to inform her that because her son would not go willingly to hospital with them, it would be up to his GP or the Gardaí to sign him in.

“The ambulance person rang the GP to ask him to sign [my son] into hospital but the GP refused and said I have nothing to do with that and to ring the Guards,” she said.

Giving evidence, the deceased’s GP, Dr Denis Higgins, said he had no record of that call and while it could have been taken by another GP at his practice, he personally did not speak to any paramedic.

The mother said she would seek to find the paramedic to corroborate her story, should the Coroner allow it.

Legal Counsel for the HSE, Imelda Tierney, said that the deceased had been engaging with the services after his discharge from UHG.

“He had an 18 day stay in hospital – that is not often the case. He received detailed treatment over that 18 days.

“He returned to an appointment on October 18 so he was engaging with the system,” said Ms Tierney.

Coroner, Dr MacLoughlin, said it seemed his mother had a deep insight into the problems her son faced.

“Ms Tierney, what you are really saying is that all the professionals thought he was alright and the only person who knew how sick he was, was his mother – and who was right?

“I feel it is incumbent on me to make enquiries on this and see what the general attitude in the hospital is to this,” said Dr MacLoughlin.

He said he would give the deceased’s mother the time she needed to find the paramedic whom she said had called the doctor.

“I will reserve a verdict and any rider or recommendation until such a time as we have heard complete evidence. We will reconvene on June 28/29,” said Dr MacLoughlin.