Mental health patient died by suicide before having medication review
The revelations have emerged as Queensland Health's mental health services are under increasing scrutiny over resourcing and the number of patients dying by suicide.
A mental health patient, Jonathan Stevens, died by suicide shortly after being discharged from a Queensland government hospital in 2024, despite expressing concerns about his medication not being effective, according to a coroner's report. The 28-year-old had been admitted to Gold Coast's Hospital and Health Services mental health division on April 17 after being found suicidal near a Gold Coast beach.
Despite being discharged the next day, Stevens died by suicide on April 18 while staying with his girlfriend. His parents had raised concerns about their son's treatment, noting he had been suffering from mental health issues for years, possibly linked to childhood sexual abuse. The coroner, Amanda Bain, found that an independent expert believed Stevens' medication should have been reviewed in hindsight, as his worsening symptoms and suicidality in the week leading up to his medication being due suggested it was not as effective.
The coroner's report also highlighted that due to significant demands on the health service, longitudinal reviews like the one required by Stevens were difficult to achieve. Despite this, the coroner noted that while the care provided was reasonable and appropriate, it did not address the issue of why Stevens was not kept in hospital for a medication review before his discharge.
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