Inquest resumes into teen boy Liam Mead’s apparent suicide

A Hobart inquest into the death of 16-year-old Liam Mead has been told that teen suicide deaths are fully preventable, but the mental health system is “on its knees” due to underfunding.

Ted Mead outside Hobart's Magistrates Court after giving evidence today at the inquest into the death of his son Liam Mead, 16, holding a picture of Liam and his mother, Juliet Lavers. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

THE FATHER of a teenage boy from Taroona who took his own life says he won’t have closure until Tasmania has a dedicated adolescent mental health facility.

Liam Mead, 16, died in March 2017 – two days after he was discharged from a private mental health clinic in Melbourne and returned home.

Liam’s mother, GP Juliet Lavers, died a year ago this Friday with “inconsolable pain” and after campaigning for years to improve youth mental health services in Tasmania.

“I don’t want to see what I went through happen to other families,” Ted Mead said on Thursday, as an inquest into his son’s death resumed in Hobart after a nine-month delay.

“Of course it was preventable … We weren’t given enough advice to prevent such an incident.

“I don’t think there’s going to be closure for me until I see an adolescent mental health care facility in Tasmania.”

The inquest began in May last year, but was delayed while Coroner Ken Stanton ruled over what evidence he’d hear from youth mental health expert Patrick McGorry.

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On Thursday, Professor McGorry gave evidence in the Coroners Court via video link from Melbourne, noting the mental health system in every state of Australia was “on its knees”.

He said the health system was not properly funded or resourced to stop youth suicide – which he said was fully preventable.

Ted Mead with partner Juliet Lavers and their son Liam in happier times.

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Prof McGorry said the highest risk period was 24 to 48 hours after being discharged from hospitalisation or care – and that needed to be better managed with professional and peer support, not just emergency departments and Lifeline.

“If they’re cared for during that period of risk, they will all survive,” he said.

He said clinicians were currently all doing their best with the resources they had available.

Prof McGorry’s input came after Tasmanian Health Service’s lawyer Paul Turner last year argued the inquest should not hear evidence about the adequacy of adolescent mental health services in the state’s public health system.

Mr Mead said he was “livid and appalled” at the government attempting “to stymie due process”.

Tasmania’s chief psychiatrist Aaron Groves told the inquest on Thursday that the Royal Hobart Hospital’s new K Block would have 16 beds for adolescents including two dedicated mental health beds designed for young people in “suicidal distress”.

He said the current paediatric ward didn’t have any mental health beds at all.

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Dr Groves said plans were also underway to establish a mental health precinct at the Repatriation Centre on Davey Street and provide acute short-term mental health beds with a “homelike environment” at St John’s, with a focus on your people aged up to 25.

“Liam was a beautiful child, he was a gifted child and this should never have happened,” Mr Mead told journalists.

The inquest was adjourned and will resume at a later date for submissions.

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