A young Co Tyrone man who died suddenly was struggling with his mental health in the days and weeks prior to his passing, an inquest has heard.
Conor McHugh, a father-of-one from Dungannon, died on March 8 2022.
He took his own life.
An inquest into his death was held in Belfast on Friday.
It heard he had recently lost his job, been diagnosed with cancer, and was “in a very, very dark place”.
The 31-year-old, from the White City area of Dungannon, had previously been supported by the Cedar Foundation following a brain injury soon after birth.
Mr McHugh was born prematurely at 28 weeks, and spent his childhood in and out of hospital, overcoming a series of life-threatening illnesses.
Aged two he suffered a severe seizure, and as he was being rushed to hospital he went into cardiac arrest. His brain had been deprived of oxygen, resulting in a brain injury. Medics said that he was not expected to survive.
In 2018, he was working with the Cedar Foundation to help him gain a Youth Work degree at the Open University.
At the time he spoke in the press about overcoming adversity, saying that he had previously been a “very frustrated young person” with “quite a lot of insecurities around my own personal development.”
During Friday’s inquest, Mr McHugh’s wife Brogan took to the witness box.
In a statement she said he had “turned to drink and drugs to cope” as his mental health had deteriorated following the loss of his job a few months prior to his death.
In the days leading up to his passing, his wife said Mr McHugh was “in a very, very dark place.”
His mother, Brenda, also took to the witness box and agreed that he had been “feeling very down”.
“From January 2022 Conor had been feeling very down mentally,” she said.
She said he would have struggled with anxiety in the past and that his death had “ripped the heart out of the family”.
“Conor suffered from anxiety for a long, long time and we were told that was part of the acquired brain injury,” she explained.
The inquest heard he had taken his own life.
Delivering her findings, the coroner said: “At the time of his death the deceased had recently lost his job which had a profound effect on his mental health and led to financial difficulties.
“He had been suffering from health anxiety since his cancer diagnosis in 2020 and suffered from mood swings related to his acquired brain injury, which could alter his mood rapidly.”
Anyone in distress or despair can contact Samaritans by calling 116 123 at any time, email [email protected] or visit www.samaritans.org