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Coroner urges clearer messaging for mental health helplines

Coroner urges clearer messaging for mental health helplines

Better messaging and training is needed for the public and staff at mental health services, according to a coroner’s report into the death of a 23-year-old from Canterbury. Scott McDermott died in September 2023 after a long battle with mental health. Before his death, he had contacted services Lifeline and 1737 for help several times, but the coroner has recommended that “clear public messaging is required to ensure that members of the public and referring agencies understand that services such as 1737 and Lifeline are intended to provide support to people with mild to moderate mental health issues”. They also said people who experienced a high or imminent level of risk should call 111 or contact the local crisis service. In October 2019, McDermott was diagnosed with severe depression and had “a number of incidents of suicidal behaviour or ideation” in late 2019 and early 2020. He was prescribed anti-depressants in January 2021 but an event at work caused his mental state to decline in 2023, said the coroner. McDermott had made contact with 1737 and Lifeline, both providing him with advice to reduce his level of risk. However, on several occasions his attempts to contact 1737 received no immediate response because of high demand. The coroner also said McDermott raised concerns to Lifeline about delays in response time. The coroner recommended 1737 should “provide training to all staff on its policies on assessment of risk and escalation to supervisors where a high level of risk exists”, while Lifeline “should carry out a review of Mr McDermott’s contact with their service to define the issues in dealing with text messages and vague responses to train staff and make appropriate changes to its procedures”. In response, Whakarongorau Aotearoa, which runs 1737, said its service was set up to “support people experiencing mild to moderate issues, not acute distress requiring immediate assistance”. It said McDermott presented a high risk but efforts to de-escalate and establish a safety plan were unsuccessful, while “a shift supervisor should have been engaged to contact the police”. “Whakarongorau Aotearoa carried out a quality review of the services provided to Mr McDermott. This resulted in further training and systems improvements.” Lifeline said there are lessons from this case about engaging with people who communicate by text and training for its staff on exploring vague conversations. SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION Where to get help: Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7) Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7) Youth services: (06) 3555 906 Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234 What’s Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm) Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7) Aoake te Rā – Free, brief therapeutic support service for those bereaved by suicide. Call 0800 000 053. Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737 If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111

Three-hour roundtrips for training: Heartland hooker chasing Meads Cup glory

Three-hour roundtrips for training: Heartland hooker chasing Meads Cup glory

Being a Heartland rugby player is defined by how much you love the game and representing the community and people behind you. That’s how Mid Canterbury hooker Jackson Donlan sees it, anyway. After debuting for the province in 2014, Covid-19 brought a move to Christchurch for him and his family, and apart from a lone season in 2023, 2025 has seen him not only return to Heartland rugby but also turn out for the Rakaia Rugby Club. “It’s Tuesdays and Thursdays down to Ashburton [for trainings], which is a pretty big chunk out of your week,” he said, referencing his commute for Mid Canterbury. “It’s probably an hour and a half from Christchurch one way, so a couple of us carpool. It’s usually 4.30-5 o’clock through to 10 o’clock on Tuesdays and Thursdays.” Donlan said he’s racked up 72 hours’ worth of commuting time this season for Heartland trainings alone. Combine that with either multi-day travel for away games or a one-night stay/all-day excursion to Ashburton, and it adds up quickly. Jackson Donlan on the charge for Mid Canterbury in the 2014 Heartland Championship Meads Cup Final. Photo / Photosport Off the field, Donlan’s grateful to have a circle that supports his Heartland career as he juggles it with his job as operations manager for Wrightway Construction, as well as being a husband and father. “We’ve got a young daughter, and it’s so much time away from home, so I’m pretty lucky she [his wife] holds it down at home and allows me to do it. “Our coaches are really good at making a really inclusive environment, not only for us, but for our families and then for the community as well.” Donlan says he comes back to the pure passion he has for the game, as well as the camaraderie with his teammates, to keep him focused on the “why” on the cold Canterbury nights. “We’ve got a really good team environment, so you get down there and you forget it all when you enjoy it. You almost look forward to it every night, you know? “Our team is full of good buggers and everyone just enjoys being around each other … [it] makes it so much better.” Balloons in the Mid Canterbury colours and green-and-yellow jerseys have dominated shop fronts on Ashburton’s main street in celebration of last week’s semifinal win. For Donlan, this shows how the community has been “getting right behind it” all season, making that long commute part of a bigger picture. “I’ve played Mid Canterbury for years, and this is probably the most I’ve seen the community behind it. It’s been a real noticeable change from what I’ve seen from years past.” Captain Jackson Donlan leads the Mid Canterbury team on to the field before a 2018 match against West Coast. Photo / Getty Images Mid Canterbury head coach Matt Winter applauded the sacrifice and commitment Donlan and the other commuters demonstrate. He highlighted that it speaks volumes not only about how much they want to win, but also about their love for the team and community. “It shows how much they care and want to be a part of it by sacrificing time with family,” he said. “It adds a lot to what is already a big ask, so we’re really fortunate to have those fellas giving up their time to be part of what we’re doing.” Jackson Donlan: "Our team is full of good buggers." Winter added that those sacrifices sum up what it means to be a Heartland player, as it’s crucial in helping create a strong buy-in culture within the team, something all sides require for success. Donlan and Mid Canterbury play on Saturday in the Meads Cup final at 2.05pm, hosting Thames Valley in a rematch of the 2024 final.

'Completely devastated and heartbroken': KISS guitarist Ace Frehley dies aged 74

'Completely devastated and heartbroken': KISS guitarist Ace Frehley dies aged 74

KISS founding member and lead guitarist Ace Frehley has died aged 74. In a statement reported in United States media, his family said they were “completely devastated and heartbroken”. “In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth,” the statement said. Frehley was a founding member of KISS alongside band members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss. The band skyrocketed to success in the 1970s with hits such as Rock and Roll All Nite and I Was Made for Lovin’ You. Frehley left the band in 1982 before rejoining for a reunion tour in 1996. He then stayed with KISS until 2002. During his absence from the rock outfit, he formed his own band, Frehley’s Comet and released solo music. Last month, Frehley had to cancel shows after a fall in his studio. A September 25 post on the guitarist’s official Instagram account said that he had a fall which resulted in a trip to hospital. “He is fine, but against his wishes, his doctor insists that he refrain from travel at this time.” As a result of the incident, a performance had to be cancelled, it said. Last week an update on the same account said: “Due to some ongoing medical issues, Ace has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of his 2025 dates”. Sources have told TMZ that Frehley, 74, suffered a brain bleed when he fell in his studio, which forced him to cancel the remaining shows of his tour. TMZ reported that the star has been on a ventilator “for some time,” but his health has not improved.