Data reveals surge in Ipswich suicide rate as patients wait months for an appointment

The West Moreton region has once again recorded one of the highest suicide rates in Australia, as waiting times for mental health services reach several months.

An Ipswich mum and her three young sons are mourning the loss of their beloved husband and father Adam Brannigan, who took his own life after a long battle with mental illness.

Kaios, 9, Trigga, 8, Enzo, 4, and their mother Emi Brannigan lost Adam to suicide five weeks ago on September 11.

Ms Brannigan said she was still dealing with waves of heavy grief, a torrent of unanswered questions, and an accumulation of frustrations.

“(The kids) ask me ‘Mummy, why is he gone?” she said.

“I can’t answer them because I don’t know why, and that’s just something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.”

The devastation the Brannigans now face is an increasingly common experience among Ipswich families, with the Darling Downs and West Moreton region recording the highest suicide rate in the country in 2019 and the second highest last year.

Data recently compiled by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicated 115 lives were lost to suicide last year and 119 were lost in 2019, compared with 90 in 2018.

Ms Brannigan said she believed long wait times for mental health services were partly to blame for her husband’s passing, as Adam was unable to access the help he needed.

“Adam was diagnosed with bipolar and we were waiting to see a specialist to see if he was possibly schizophrenic as well,” she said.

“I was actually hounding (the specialist). I hounded them for two months. I called them every couple of days because I knew that he was getting so bad.”

She said she was told by the specialist’s office that there was a waitlist for an appointment, and the specialist first had to read Adam’s paperwork and decide whether they wanted to take him on as a patient.

“It wasn’t just when he was going to be seen, it was if he was going to be seen,” she said.

“It was exhausting, mentally and physically.”

Former South Ripley resident Emily Greenwell, 21, also battled mental illness for a number of years and said she felt abandoned by the services that were supposed to be there to help her.

Ms Greenwell had been connected to several mental health services after attempting to take her own life at just 20 years old, but she said she struggled to get in contact with them.

“They were meant to call me every couple of days to make sure I was doing OK,” she said.

“I tried to reach out a couple of times but was always told ‘we’re too busy’.

“It was quite disheartening because you’ve been put in touch with these services and the people who are supposed to help you, won’t.”

Eventually, in September last year, Ms Greenwell connected with Stride Hub Ipswich, which she said helped her exponentially in her mental health recovery journey.

The hub, which supports about 200 people at any one time, has seen an increase in demand of late due to social pressures like housing and employment.

While Stride Hub still has availability over the next couple of weeks to support adults needing help, Headspace and Stride Kids centres both have wait times, much like many other Ipswich services who support young age groups.

“For our headspace service, young people are currently waiting around three months to access the service,” Stride Hub service manager Jeanelle Gibson said.

“While we run a tight cancellation list, this still presents a challenge for young people seeking help.”

Adam Brannigan is being remembered for his kind nature and for how much he loved his family. Picture: Facebook

According to Ms Brannigan, the loss of her husband came down to a combination of factors including him not being able to see a specialist and get a “full, proper diagnosis”.

“There was no one there to help him,” she said.

“Between work, trying to see a specialist, and him just (thinking) ‘I’m a man’, it was just too much.”

She said Adam will forever be remembered for how kind he was and how much he loved his children.

“He’d give you the shirt off his back. He was the first person to help everyone,” she said.

“He loved animals beyond … he would pull over if there was an animal on the side of the road.

“He was very headstrong and very honest. As a dad, he was great. He loved the kids. I think that’s what kept him around for a lot of the years.”

If you would like to contribute and support the Brannigan family, visit the GoFundMe page here.

If this story has raised any issues for you, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or The Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.