An A-level student died by suicide at her sixth-form college after experiencing mental health difficulties throughout her teenage years, an inquest heard.
Lauren Jackson, 17, had appeared to be making plans for the future. She had started driving lessons and visited several universities where she hoped to continue her studies.
However, she hanged herself at the start of the school day at Richard Huish College in Somerset in February. This happened a month after she told doctors that her antidepressants no longer seemed to be working effectively.
PE teacher Lisa Wren found Lauren unresponsive. Other members of staff immediately intervened, carrying out CPR and contacting the emergency services.
Lauren was flown to hospital by air ambulance and admitted to intensive care. A scan showed she had suffered a hypoxic brain injury, and doctors warned her parents that she was unlikely to survive.
She died two days later, with her family at her bedside, the inquest at the Old Municipal Buildings in Taunton heard this week.
Lauren Jackson, 17, died by suicide at her sixth-form college after struggling with her mental health
She hanged herself at the start of the school day at Richard Huish College in Somerset in February
Lauren’s mother, Estelle Jackson, told the inquest that the college called her at 9.15am to say her daughter had been found unresponsive.
Mrs Jackson said she tried to walk but her legs “stopped working”, causing her to collapse. A colleague then helped her up and drove her to the college in Taunton.
Mrs Jackson and her husband, Graham, accompanied Lauren to hospital, where they stayed with her for 48 hours until her death, according to her written statement.
Mrs Jackson said Lauren had become increasingly withdrawn during her teenage years, rarely speaking to her and “did not view us as parents”. However, she said her daughter’s behaviour had not appeared unusual in the days before her death. Lauren had booked driving lessons and seemed to be preparing for university after completing her A-levels.
Medical records showed that Lauren had experienced mental health problems from the age of 14. Three years before her death, she visited her GP after having panic attacks, OCD and intrusive thoughts. She also disclosed that she had self-harmed.
Lauren was referred for mental health support and attended 33 appointments with professionals from mental health and children’s services.
She was offered therapy and later prescribed the antidepressant sertraline. The medication was initially given at a dose of 25mg a day, which was eventually increased to 150mg.
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Although Lauren initially said the medication was helping, she told her key worker in January, a month before her death, that its effect appeared to be wearing off.
During a face-to-face meeting, she was described as “shivering, crying and feeling unsafe”.
Dr Arjuna Pattapola recorded that Lauren was experiencing emotional dysregulation, attachment difficulties, disrupted sleep and eating patterns, panic attacks and psychosomatic complaints. She was also struggling to interact with her peers and family.
Lauren also reported unusual incidents, including an occasion when she believed a bar of soap had been placed in her bowl of porridge.
Medical records showed that Lauren had experienced mental health concerns from the age of 14, visiting her GP three years before her death after suffering panic attacks, OCD and intrusive thoughts
The college where Lauren was a pupil is one of the country’s only state-run sixth form colleges to offer a boarding option and educates 2,250 students a year.
Matthew Nolan, the college’s safeguarding lead, said Lauren had talked about wanting to die, sometimes describing how she would go about it.
‘Lauren would regularly attend my office, crying, shaking and suggesting she was struggling,’ he said, in a written statement.
Dr Daniel Shuttleworth, a consulting manager in the Intensive Care Unit who oversaw Lauren’s care, said that while her heart was successfully restarted, she failed to respond to external stimuli, and ultimately failed to regain consciousness.
He gave the cause of death as a hypoxic brain injury caused by suspension.
After Lauren died, one of her friends revealed she had confided in her she had been sexually assaulted as a young child. But in Lauren’s diary police found two separate entries which undermined the claims.
She had written: ‘I have suppressed feelings of guilt as I feel I have lied about being sexually abused as a cry for attention.’ And later: ‘I have never been sexually abused.’
Recording a verdict of suicide, assistant coroner Vanessa McKinlay said Lauren had struggled to engage with therapy, despite regularly attending sessions with her key worker, and had met with psychologists on multiple occasions.
‘No one could have seen what Lauren was going to do on that day,’ she added.
For confidential support, call Samaritans for free on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support