SA father urges change in eating disorder services after daughter's death

A South Australian father has spoken out about the need for change in eating disorder services after his 24-year-old daughter, Jenni, took her own life in 2021 following a two-year battle with anorexia nervosa.

In findings handed down recently, State Coroner Naomi Kereru said Jenni encountered barriers to effective treatment which "very quickly took over her life" and "tragically proved insurmountable".

Outside court, Jenni's father Shaun said his daughter's death — and the resulting inquest findings — must lead to change. "Nothing brings our daughter back, we live with that pain every day," he said.

"If the coroner's recommendations spare that grief for other families — that's Jenni's legacy," he added.

Shaun described his daughter as a "bright, thoughtful person" who "wanted to help people" and said there were "some pivotal moments that would have greatly assisted in Jenni's treatment" and given her "more of a fighting chance" to access interventions at the right time.

He highlighted the disparity in services for anorexia compared to other deadly diseases, like cancer. "We all understand that if you don't treat cancer it grows and it's harder to get rid of," he said.

"The same with anorexia, if you don't treat it fast, it grows and it becomes more entrenched. That's the problem we had with Jenni — the treatment interventions that could have happened much earlier, didn't and that severely hampered her chances of recovery".

Recommendations for improved services

Coroner Kereru made recommendations to the Health Minister aimed at improving services, including setting up an acute inpatient ward for patients with eating disorders who require medical stabilisation.

The inquest heard that unidentified staff made comments to Jenni while she was in hospital, including asking for "diet tips", which Coroner Kereru said were "absolutely inappropriate".

Coroner Kereru also recommended reviewing the adequacy of beds at the Statewide Eating Disorder Service (SEDS) and determining whether additional beds were needed.

The coroner noted that the waitlist for a bed in the inpatient facility "can be up to many months", and that patients could still expect a "significant waiting list" even after additional beds were opened.

Government response

Health Minister Blair Boyer offered his condolences to Jenni's family and said he would meet with them.

"We can’t change what has tragically happened in 2021, but we can do more to ensure South Australians with eating disorders receive the appropriate treatment and supports," he said.

The state and federal governments would jointly invest $10 million in SEDS, and the new Women's and Children's Hospital would include a dedicated eight-bed ward for patients with eating disorders.