Coroner's Finding: Lampkin, Christopher Maxwell

57y · Male·hanging

Christopher Maxwell Lampkin, a 57-year-old man with longstanding depression and alcohol dependence, died by hanging in July 2021. He had been treated for depression since 2009 and had attended an alcohol and drugs service in 2011 for binge drinking patterns. Medical records showed he had been prescribed antidepressants and other medications, with his last GP visit in February 2021. In October 2019, he expressed desire to return to psychological treatment but this referral did not eventuate. He was a socially isolated individual who kept to himself despite living near friends. The coroner found he was treated appropriately by medical practitioners and the death could not have been foreseen or prevented. Clinical lessons include the importance of acting on patient requests for mental health referrals, recognising suicide risk in patients with chronic depression and alcohol dependence, and maintaining engagement with isolated individuals in follow-up care.