Coroner urges better mental health services for young people

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Services in Tasmania for troubled adolescents need revamping and improving, a coroner examining the deaths of six Tasmanian teenagers has found.

Five of the six teenagers, who took their own lives between 2010 and 2014, were known to child protection authorities.

She noted that a common theme from the evidence was that there was a serious gap in Tasmanian mental health services for adolescents.

Coroner Olivia McTaggart recommended that hospitals consider providing discharge summaries and contacts for follow-up treatment options for young people who are admitted to hospitals in a crisis.

Ms McTaggart said Dr Fiona Wagg from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) painted a “very bleak” picture of the service’s ability to implement cost-effective programs.

She recommended CAMHS be staffed to provide an adequate service, ensure there was no freeze in accepting referrals and eliminate wait lists.

The coroner also recommended a comprehensive early intervention program for children aged up to three years be developed, to identify kids at high risk of suffering mental health issues in the future.

She said hospitals should consider developing a suicide risk assessment tool to be applied statewide.

The coroner noted that young people were often blamed for disengaging with services.

“Such blame should cease and careful consideration be given as to why young people disengage,” Ms McTaggart said.

The inquest looked at how similar deaths could be prevented, improving the relationship between police and child protection agencies, the need for early intervention to assist traumatised children, and media reporting of suicide.

In a statement, the Government said it would consider the recommendations carefully and respond as soon as possible.