Coroner's Finding: Miss N de-identified
Demographics
20y, female
Date of death
2009-10
Finding date
2013-08-09
Cause of death
injury caused by hanging
AI-generated summary
A 20-year-old woman with a long history of eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive behaviours, and adjustment difficulties died by suicide in October 2009. She had received treatment at the Bronte Centre in Melbourne and outpatient mental health care in Tasmania, but experienced interruptions in psychological support. Following discharge from hospital in August 2009 after a drug overdose, attempts to arrange private psychological services were unsuccessful. The coroner identified a significant gap in public sector adult mental health services for eating disorders on Tasmania's North West Coast, noting that while child and adolescent services were adequate, adults with eating disorders lacked specialised public sector support beyond acute treatment. The coroner recommended exploring the viability of establishing dedicated services for this population.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- eating disorder with persistent symptoms
- adjustment disorder
- obsessive-compulsive behaviours
- problematic relationships
- alcohol abuse
- interruption in psychological treatment
- unavailability of specialised adult eating disorder services
- unsuccessful attempts to arrange private psychological support
- impulsivity in crisis situations
- disengagement from support networks during crises
Coroner's recommendations
- State health authorities should explore the viability of establishing dedicated public sector services to support and treat adults suffering from eating disorders on the North West Coast of Tasmania
Full text
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