Nurse asked anorexia patient Jenni Matters for diet tips before she took her own life, father tells coronial inquest

The father of a young woman who took her own life after “struggling with an eating disorder for two years” has told an inquest she was treated like a burden — and a nurse asked her for diet tips.

The inquest into the death of Jennifer Michelle Matters, known as Jenni, began with her family telling the court they hoped her death would lead to system-wide change for the treatment of eating disorders in South Australia. 

The inquest heard Ms Matters had a mental illness for about 10 years and anorexia nervosa for two before taking her life at Belair Natonal Park on May 28, 2021.

When she died, she weighed 29.5 kilograms.

Her father, Shaun Matters, said his daughter was mistreated in hospital by nurses and doctors who did not have a proper understanding of eating disorders.

“The doctor dismissed her and said, ‘eat turkey, banana and oats and drink some water and away you go,'” Mr Matters said.

Mr Matters told the inquest further attempts to have his daughter engage with medical and psychological support were mostly unsuccessful, as her weight and mental state continued to decline.

He said that despite partial success in a specialised ward, limited availability meant she was sometimes treated by staff with a lack of sympathy and understanding.

“We experienced a number of nurses that really didn’t understand eating disorders [or] mental health in general,” Mr Matters said.

“I was there one day, and a nurse [said] ‘oh you’re so skinny’ … [another] asked for diet tips.

“Talking about the physical condition and describing an eating disorder as ‘skinny’ is a badge of honour, not something that needs to be rectified, so you shouldn’t do that with eating disorder patients.”

Final words

Emma Roper, special counsel assisting the coroner, said Ms Matters had called triple-0 before she died and explained her intention.

“Jenni explained to the call taker that she had been suffering from mental health problems for 10 years and that she had been struggling with an eating disorder for two,” she said.

“She said she could not do it anymore, Jenni explained she had been in and out of hospital … but the treatment for eating disorders was, and I quote ‘bullshit’.

“She complained that they basically put you in hospital, fatten you up for two months and then discharge you without supports at home and wait for the cycle to repeat.

“She said she had tried everything and if she didn’t do it then she would just spend another year going in and out of Flinders [Medical Centre].”

Hopes death could help others

The court heard witnesses over the next fortnight would include Randall Long from the Statewide Eating Disorder Service (SEDS).

“Jenni wrote to Dr Long that the purpose of her letter was hope that her death might help others — even just one person,” Ms Roper said.

“She wrote and I quote: ‘I am not here to blame my death on anyone, least of all the wonderful people doing their best to look after us eating disorder patients.

“If maybe things had been different, and people along the way had maybe understood more about the cognitions involved in eating disorders, I may not have been put so offside by treatment initially.

“If treatment looked a tiny bit different, I may not have walked the same path.”

Outside court, Mr Matters told the media his daughter’s death may have been prevented if treatment options and support mirrored the care for patients with conditions like heart disease or cancer.

“It’s a disease that affects people, they don’t choose to have the disease and it’s a devastating disease and it’s treated so very differently to the resources and treatment of other physical health conditions,” he said.

However, he also acknowledged his daughter wanted an inquest like this to happen.

He said that if it led to better training and more government resources for mental health treatment, his daughter’s death would not be for nothing.

The inquest before Deputy State Coroner Naomi Kereru continues.