Finding into death of Katarina Sonia Novakovic
Deceased
KATARINA SONIA NOVAKOVIC
Demographics
47y, female
Date of death
2010-09-25
Finding date
2013-08-21
Cause of death
INCISED INJURY TO THE NECK
AI-generated summary
A 47-year-old woman with schizophrenia and recent depressive symptoms died by intentional incised injury to the neck. She had been prescribed escitalopam on 10 September 2010 for emerging depressive illness following her parents' deaths and increasing social isolation. Two days before her death, a case manager completed a risk assessment and found her stable, denying suicidal ideation, though she reported hopelessness themes. The coroner commended the comprehensive shared care between public and private psychiatrists but identified that there was no documented follow-up to assess whether the newly prescribed antidepressant was being taken or was effective during the critical early treatment period. The death was impulsive, occurring as she prepared for a holiday trip.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- emerging depressive illness following parents' deaths
- social isolation and loneliness
- recent bereavement (both parents deceased within 12 months)
- access to means
- impulsive suicide attempt history (2008)
- no documented assessment of antidepressant effectiveness in early treatment period
- anxiety about planned holiday travel and being alone in unfamiliar location
Coroner's recommendations
- That Eastern Health Mental Health Services review its policy and clinical guidelines to ensure monitoring of therapeutic effectiveness in the high-risk commencement period for antidepressants is assessed according to best practice principles.
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