Afrika Yearwood, 18, took her own life last year
A teenage A level student took her own life after being refused treatment by mental health experts who deemed that she was ‘not acutely ill enough,’ an inquest heard.
Popular Afrika Yearwood, 18, was told in April 2018 that she was not sick enough meet the criteria for mental health support.
She was ‘ping-ponged’ around and received just two hours and 21 minutes of care from different NHS services from February 24, 2018, until her death three months later, an inquest heard.
Afrika, the ‘life and soul’ of the party, never received a clinical diagnosis by mental health professionals but was described as impulsive and could go from really happy to suicidal in 10 seconds, an inquest heard.
She repeatedly spoke of wanting to die in the lead up to her tragic death at Leeds General Infirmary on May 25, 2018 following a suicide attempt four days earlier, an inquest heard.
Her mother, Beverley Yearwood told an inquest at Wakefield Coroner’s Court: ‘Afrika said she wanted to try anything to get better.
‘For me, in April when she was getting worse and I asked for help I was getting shunted.
‘We got the letter from adult mental health services saying she had been refused and referred back to primary care.
‘I was on the phone for 58 minutes asking ‘can you tell me please on what grounds you have refused’.
She was told by doctors that she was not sick enough meet the criteria for mental health support
‘He said the threshold for adult services is very high and unfortunately she had not acutely ill enough.
‘When I’m sat there by her grave I hear him say she is not acutely ill enough.
‘I had a conversation with her and she said nobody is going to help me. She clearly stated that she could not cope anymore.’
Afrika, who worked as a waitress twice a week, began feeling upset in June 2017 which family suspected was school-related and not knowing what she wanted to do in the future, an inquest heard.
She displayed early signs of stress but lost faith in medical professionals after being wrongly sent to a chronic pain management treatment hospital.
Afrika threatened to jump out of her mother’s car and locked herself in the bathroom before later telling her dad she wanted to die in December 2017, an inquest heard.
Following a search of her bedroom a note was found under the bed which said: ‘Why is everything around me so distressing.’
Afrika began seeing a private cognitive behavioural therapist in December 2017 and told her mother the one-hour sessions – which cost £65 a week – were beneficial, an inquest heard.
She had ‘no clear trigger’ for her low moods but Afrika became snappy and would go into crisis mode over the tiniest things, an inquest heard.
Afrika then overdosed in February 2018 in what was described as a ‘cry for help’ by her boyfriend Jake Readman, 19, whose relationship began in the summer of 2016.
She was routinely reviewed during a 45-minute psychiatric assessment by Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) after being discharged from Pinderfields Hospital and told family they would be contacted in seven days, an inquest heard.
She overdosed in February 2018 in what was described as a ‘cry for help’ by her boyfriend Jake Readman, 19
During an assessment on March 7 she was deemed low risk and a referral was made via the transition services.
Afrika was later prescribed antidepressant medication by a GP on March 13 – the day before her 18th birthday because she wanted ‘to try anything to get better’, an inquest heard.
She became more withdrawn and in the second week of April Afrika told her mother she ‘still felt the same’ despite receiving the treatment.
Afrika was refused treatment by adult mental services on April 20, 2018 based on a seven-week-old assessment of the teenager, an inquest heard.
Her mother challenged the decision but was told over the phone Afrika was ‘not acutely ill enough’, an inquest heard.
She then took an increased dosage of medication in the two weeks before her death, an inquest heard.
Therapist Michelle Pittam told of her ‘frustration’ after filing two reports to CAMHS over the risk Afrika posed but received no response.
She said: ‘She was quiet when I first met her and it took a long tine to gain her trust to open up.
‘There was clear evidence from her history that she had impulsive instances for example with the car and note.
‘We had lots of discussions about the overdose and future risks. She said it was disappointed that it had not worked. She was deeply impacted by the impact it had on her family.
‘By the time I wrote a report on May 4 there were concerns but there was other factors at play as well.
‘What I wanted in my opinion that would be the best outcome was to have someone from the community mental health team seeing her regularly and building that relationship up.
‘A community psychiatric nurse that would have given her access to psychiatrists and occupational therapists should she have needed it.
‘Afrika was not particularly in favour of hospital admission and neither was her mum.’
Boyfriend Jake Readman sent a text message to Afrika’s mum saying: ‘She is extremely fragile at the moment, can you keep an eye on her. I’m mentally drained.’
Giving evidence at the inquest, he said: ‘She was a bit stressed out about having to make a choice about university. I realised there wasn’t a root cause, it was just the way she was feeling.
‘On May 17 I told her I needed some space and she was very understanding. On May 21 we had not spoken at all and she text me asking if we were talking.
‘I said at the moment this is just too much for me, I don’t know how to cope. I cannot continue because it’s making me ill. I think she took it as abandonment.
‘I just said I needed some time to myself. I think one of the hardest parts is it was very hard to predict her mood. She could go from really happy to suicidal in the space of 10 seconds.’
An inquest continues.
For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here.