The household of a Croydon man who is believed to have taken his own life whereas self-isolating with coronavirus have spoken out about the affect of lockdown and Covid isolation on psychological well being.
Joshua Morgan, 25, from Purley, died on Monday, February 8 after struggling throughout a interval of self-isolation with Covid-19.
Josh’s cousin, Claudine Arthurs, mentioned he thought it greatest to isolate nearly solely in his bed room whereas he had a ‘gentle’ case of Covid.
His mum, who he lived with, is in the weak class so he didn’t need to put her in danger by coming into contact whereas he was isolating.
Claudine advised MyLondon on behalf of the household: “Josh was actually simply alone in his room.
“He was doing okay for the first few days, laughing and speaking with his buddies, after which we talked to my aunt [his mother] and he or she mentioned that Josh was feeling a bit down.
“It wasn’t actually attribute of him. They had organized for him to converse with a psychological well being skilled, however that night he’s believed to have taken his own life at residence.”
Josh at his commencement – Josh studied at Swansea University for his undergraduate diploma and went on to research Chemical Engineering at UCL
(Image: Claudine Arthurs)
Claudine described Josh, who had simply accomplished a Masters diploma at UCL in Chemical Engineering, as a “good-looking, good, well-loved younger man.”
She mentioned: “We know that he was battling discovering a job, which is comprehensible in the midst of the pandemic.
“We knew he would possibly be a bit down about that, however we will not assist however assume that if it wasn’t for Covid, if he wasn’t mainly locked up in his room, maybe he would not have taken this course of motion.
“We are all simply gutted.”
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Samaritans: Phone 116 123, 24 hours a day, or electronic mail [email protected], in confidence
Childline: Phone 0800 1111. Calls are free and will not present up in your invoice
PAPYRUS: A voluntary organisation supporting suicidal teenagers and younger adults. Phone 0800 068 4141
Depression Alliance: A charity for individuals with melancholy. No helpline however gives helpful assets and hyperlinks to different data
Students Against Depression: An internet site for college students who are depressed, have low temper, or are suicidal. Click right here to go to
Bullying UK: An internet site for each youngsters and adults affected by bullying. Click right here
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): For younger males who are feeling sad. Has an internet site and a helpline: 0800 58 58 58
Claudine defined that after she’d spoken to Josh’s mum that Monday about how he was feeling down, she had deliberate to assist him attain out for help on Tuesday morning.
She lives in Portugal, so couldn’t be there in individual to help Josh, however needed to “take him by the hand and assist him” the greatest she might.
Josh with his mum
(Image: Claudine Arthurs)
“But it was too late,” she mentioned.
“It’s developing increasingly more that that is taking place to younger individuals, that they are shedding all hope with job prospects, and the social upheaval that is taking place, and the pandemic.
“It simply appears a disgrace.”
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Josh’s buddies have described him as “all the time smiling, he lit up the room, a life of the occasion sort of man,” Claudine mentioned.
“His sister mentioned to me that Covid was the straw that broke the camel’s again, it took him over the edge in just some days, it looks as if.”
Claudine mentioned she needs she’d been in a position to inform her cousin to maintain on for “only one extra day.”
“Anybody going by this, simply give it yet another day and issues have a tendency to flip round,” she mentioned.
Josh’s buddies would describe him as ‘a life of the occasion sort of man’
(Image: Claudine Arthurs)
“He would have gotten the assist, individuals would have rallied round him, if we had recognized.
“I do not know if it is a Caribbean factor, however there are lots of, many layers to this. There are taboos [around mental health].”
Josh’s dying is a big loss to his household, and Claudine mentioned his mom is devastated and can’t return to her residence, his place of dying, as it’s full of tragedy.
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Claudine has arrange a GoFundMe fundraiser in his reminiscence, to assist pay for the funeral prices and to assist Josh’s mum with various lodging in her grief.
So far, they’ve raised over £25,000 of their £30,000 goal thanks to the kindness of buddies, household and strangers.
In a plea to others struggling, Claudine mentioned: “If anyone would not see hope, attain out to individuals. Friends might be there, even the authorities for those who assume it is necessary.
“There is rather a lot of help on the market. But in this case it wasn’t sufficient.”
A date for the inquest into Josh’s dying is but to be set.
Did Joshua Morgan? Share your reminiscences of him in the feedback right here, or electronic mail [email protected] with tributes.
