‘Act while there is still time’: Father issues poignant statement following 17-year-old son’s suicide
A father has issued a poignant statement after his 17-year-old son, Bradley Robertson, tragically lost his mental health battle in January last year.
Simon Robertson reached out to the Chronicle & Echo as he felt passionately about sharing a father’s perspective on his son’s suicide and that parents should reflect on matters close to home.
“Too many children slip through the cracks, their mental health struggles are seen too late, and their needs are dismissed until the problem snowballs into something unmanageable,” he said.
“Funding is part of the problem and raising money for mental health services could possibly enable them to provide the relevant help – but the real change begins with awareness, urgency and timely action.”
Simon believes that early intervention is the difference between a child being supported and a child being left to struggle alone.
He continued: “I believe all parents and guardians must act early. Look closer to home and notice the signs, push for assessments, seek guidance from the relevant services, and demand that those services provide support when necessary.”
The father says that if services are overwhelmed, the provision of Mental Health First Aid courses for all parents and guardians could be beneficial.
“Any mental health education courses providing knowledge, skills and training on recognising the symptoms, triggers and behaviours is better than nothing,” said Simon. “This may possibly alleviate parents and guardians’ worries regarding their child’s mental wellbeing.”
He recommended that for those with limited access to relevant services and training, technology and the use of AI are useful for researching mental health conditions, symptoms, triggers and behaviours.
Simon continued: “The system may be slow to change, providing help when they can, but our determination as parents and guardians to improve our children’s mental wellbeing cannot be. Most importantly, avoid playing the blame game.
“I hope my perspective prompts others with children living with mental health issues to hear this truth: act while there is still time. May my son rest in peace.”