A 24-year-old woman took her own life after struggling with mental health problems, including the heartbreak of seeing her son being taken into care. Student and carer Lousina Negus died at the home she shared with her boyfriend and their daughter on June 14 last year, reports DevonLive.
An inquest was this week told by her boyfriend that not having custody of her eldest child had a massive impact on Lousina's mental health, leading her to sometimes self-medicate with drink and recreational drugs. He said she felt 'let down' by social services and she had frequently been frustrated at not being able to contact her social workers.
The inquest heard Lousina had stopped taking anti-depressants and the day before she died she had been to a barbecue at a friend's house and was described as happy, full of life and positive.
Her boyfriend said that evening they had both consumed alcohol and cocaine and that it had made her a 'bit low'. They went to bed together at home at around 3am and when he awoke to the sound of their daughter crying in her room at around 4.45am, Lousina was not in bed.
He found her unresponsive and called 999, but despite resuscitation attempts, she could not be revived. Her boyfriend said: "Her actions were completely unexpected and unexplained. She did not leave me a note so I cannot explain what drove her to do this. She had struggled to come to terms with what happened [with her son]."
Lousina's father Darren said losing her son had the biggest impact on her mental health and that he did not feel she received the support she needed from social services and other agencies.
He said: "I recall she did not manage well with the situation. It was very damaging to her and a factor that was very relevant to her action in taking her life."
Darren added: "I love my daughter; she will always be everything to me."
The inquest heard statements from friends, one said: "She was the most lovely person who would do anything for anyone." Another said: "I could not have asked for a better best friend and she did not deserve the things that happened to her."
But the same friend recalled that Lousina had shared thoughts of wanting to end her life. She said: "I knew she would but I didn't know when. She was never happy."
A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of Lousina's death was asphyxia due to hanging. Toxicology tests revealed the amount of alcohol she consumed would have caused mild drunkenness and the quantity of cocaine may have caused intoxication.
A police investigation confirmed there was no third-party involvement or suspicious circumstances. Lousina's health records confirmed periods of depression and a suicide attempt by hanging in 2018.
In February 2019, she was referred urgently by her GP to the mental health team but her need was downgraded by the service to routine. It was noted she did not engage further with them.
After falling pregnant in late February 2019, Lousina reported much-improved mood and stopped taking anti-depressant medication and told her GP she had stopped taking drugs and alcohol.
In October 2020, she was referred to NHS talking therapy service Talkworks after becoming distressed but her needs were deemed too complex for the service. In January 2021 she briefly restarted anti-depressant medication and the following month was re-referred to Talkworks.
Recording a conclusion of suicide, assistant coroner Deborah Archer warned how 'toxic' it is to mix drugs and alcohol when you have mental health problems and said: "I find the whole picture adds up to a lady who had been haunted by mental health problems for years. She had stopped taking her prescription for some three months and was self-medicating with drugs and alcohol when she suddenly decided impulsively between 4am and 5am to take her own life."
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