Karen McKeown, 39, has spoken out after her partner Luke Henderson died by suicide in December 2017, having pleaded with healthcare professionals for help on eight separate occasions. She says the same system then failed her grieving children, who were rejected by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) despite their trauma.
In the days before his death, the 29-year-old dad-of-two had been experiencing hallucinations and suicidal thoughts. Karen says he contacted his doctor, NHS 24 and a community mental health nurse, but was "turned away" every time. He died by suicide in the family home in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, four days after Christmas.
Children rejected after father's death
Karen described having to remove her two young children, daughter Kaydence, then ten, and son Luke junior, then seven, from the house with towels over their faces so they would not see their father's body. After his death, she claims both children were rejected by CAMHS despite their significant trauma. It took four years for them to be referred again, after both had become suicidal themselves.
Karen said: "We have been turned away at every corner. We reached out to every possible service we could think of when Luke was in crisis, but we were dismissed and sent home. I believe that if he had even been medicated at the time, he could still be here today. Instead, my kids have been left without their father."
Campaign for mental health overhaul
Karen is campaigning for an overhaul of mental health services in Scotland. Last week, she relaunched a petition to the Scottish Parliament after her two previous submissions were thrown out because politicians ran out of time before the end of the parliamentary term.
She said: "Sometimes I feel like it's falling on deaf ears. It's been nearly ten years since Luke's death and I don't see any changes. If politicians have run out of time to look at my petition about mental health twice, it makes me wonder what is at the top of their priorities. I have submitted this petition three times now, all within reasonable time of the parliamentary term, yet I am told there's still not enough time for it to be considered. Meanwhile, parents and children are dying during this mental health emergency. If I have to resubmit this petition for a third time, then I will take to camping outside Holyrood to be heard. But there is no way I will give up. People cannot continue to die in vain."
Karen has backed the Daily Record's Save Young Lives campaign, which was launched last November in response to the youth mental health crisis in Scotland. The campaign has demanded the Scottish Government reduce lengthy mental health waiting lists and introduce suicide prevention education in schools.
Political response
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: "My thoughts are with Karen McKeown and her family for what they have been through. People who need mental health support should be able to access it swiftly without becoming stuck in an overly bureaucratic process. We know from independent experts that access to adult mental health services is slow and fragmented, with far too many people stuck on waiting lists to get help. The Scottish Government has not delivered on its promises to increase mental health funding, despite warnings about the need to boost support. When John Swinney and SNP ministers bring forward their plans for public service reform, they must ensure that there is proper support for mental health services."
A spokesperson for Children First said: "It is heartbreaking how many families in Scotland still struggle to get timely, appropriate help before they reach crisis point. Without that support, the consequences for children, their parents and carers can be devastating. Children and families cannot wait for the long-promised long-term sustainable investment in early, preventative help that can keep children and families safe, well and together. To break the cycle of intergenerational trauma, this must go hand in hand with an increase in provision of specialist recovery services, so that every child can access the help they need to recover from their experiences and move forward with their life."
Minister for Mental Wellbeing Maree Todd said: "Every death by suicide is a tragedy and I extend my deepest and heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of Luke Henderson. It is vital that all children and adults receive the right mental health support, at the right time, and whilst more young people are receiving CAMHS support within 18-weeks of referral, and long waits for support are at historically low levels, I know there is more to do to ensure support is available when and where people need it. That is why we are supporting new initiatives like drop-in mental health hubs and investing nearly £1 million through the Children and Young People Crisis Intervention Fund in 2026-27, focused on making improvements across Scotland for children and young people when they are experiencing a mental health crisis. In addition, we have increased the suicide prevention budget to £3 million in 2026–27, as well as broader mental health funding which also supports suicide prevention work, including £30 million invested each year in community-based support."
