Sorawit “JJ” Nganprateepkul affected by mental health crisis

A fallen Sunshine Coast teen’s hidden struggles have emerged as an academic sheds light on the state of support services access in the region. Warning: confronting content

Loved ones are mourning Sunshine Coast teen Sorawit “JJ” Nganprateepkul.

A senior Sunshine Coast academic says a “perfect storm” created by Covid has opened cracks in mental health support networks as loved ones come to grips with the sudden death of a much-loved teen.

Friends and family mourning a Sunshine Coast teen who died in a tragic incident at Maroochydore have revealed he could not afford to see a psychologist despite sharing his mental health struggles to his friends.

Tributes have flowed for 19-year-old Maroochydore man Sorawit “JJ” Nganprateepkul after he died in an incident at a major Sunshine Coast road on February 16.

His death sparked calls to check in on loved ones and for those struggling with mental health to reach out to support services.

Sorawit Nganprateepkul died in on February 16.

But close friend Kyal Moloney, who JJ was living with at the time of the incident, told the Sunshine Coast Daily his friend – who others said had shared his mental health struggles with friends – “could never afford to see a psychologist”.

And he wasn’t alone.

Sunshine Coast University senior lecturer in psychology Rachael Sharman said a mental health crisis, affecting the Sunshine Coast and other areas nationally, meant patients were unable to get the mental health support they needed or simply could not afford them.

Dr Sharman said the fallout from Covid had created a “perfect storm”, including an overwhelming demand for psychologist appointments, an undersupply of professionals in the sector to manage it, a lack of bulk-billing GP’s taking new patients and the number of subsidised psychology visits had been halved amid the cost of living crisis.

The 20-session subsidy program was introduced in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic; but was taken away in 2023 after Health Minister Mark Butler said an evaluation of the program found existing patients benefited from it while new patients found it harder to get into the system.

Dr Rachael Sharman, psychologist in the University of the Sunshine Coast psychology department. Photo Darryn Smith / Sunshine Coast Daily

However, the program drove an increase in the number of mental health services in general.

Dr Sharman said patients recently appeared to be combating this by spreading their appointments out rather than having fortnightly or weekly visits, which was not always ideal for certain conditions.

Health Minister Mark Butler confirmed in a radio interview on February 10 the decision to halve the subsidised appointments was not going to be changed, despite public outcry.

If you or someone you love is in crisis or needs support right now, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. If it is an emergency please call triple-0.