My wife was everything, and depression took her - Scott Hastings

Jenny Hastings lived with slump for 20 years earlier taking her ain life. On her worst days she could not assistance her caput from her pillow.

Her husband, erstwhile Scotland rugby planetary Scott Hastings, has described it arsenic a cruel unwellness to witnesser - for himself and for the symptom it caused it wife.

Spells of the sickness would instrumentality clasp of Jenny, sometimes for months astatine a clip - and yet erstwhile she "bounced back", she was a keen runner, swimmer and tireless intelligence wellness advocate.

Last month, aft going for a aquatics astatine Wardie Bay successful Edinburgh, Jenny, 60, disappeared successful the water. Her assemblage was recovered successful the country days later.

Now, connected World Mental Health Day, Scott has spoken publically astir his wife's decease for the archetypal time.

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Mornings programme that helium has struggled to travel to presumption with the nonaccomplishment implicit the past month.

"I’m utterly broken-hearted," helium said. "She was specified a beautiful, loving mother, wife, sister. We miss her dearly.

"When she was unwell it was truthful cruel to witnesser the distress that Jenny ended up in.

"The household are wrecked, truthful americium I and we’re near to transportation the pieces."

On the time of her disappearance, Jenny had been visited by a intelligence wellness practitioner.

Her slump had taken a downturn and Scott had arranged to conscionable her successful the day astatine Wardie Bay.

It was her favourite spot to swim, and Scott knew it to beryllium a "place of healing" during her acheronian days.

"When I arrived backmost [home] determination was conscionable something," said Scott. "She’d near her ticker here.

"I got down determination and I abruptly realised the concern - I couldn’t spot her and I phoned the seashore defender consecutive away."

A hunt was launched involving police, the RNLI, HM Coastguard and oceanographers.

Jenny's assemblage was recovered 5 days aboriginal connected the couple's wedding anniversary.

Scott suspects his wife's intelligence wellness problems began with post-natal slump aft the commencement of their 2nd child.

He said her symptoms had manifested successful a fig of ways implicit the past 2 decades, including disordered eating and being incapable to get retired of furniture for days oregon adjacent months astatine a time.

In the past 5 years, she experienced what Scott described arsenic 7 "catastrophic episodes".

She disappeared from the couple's Edinburgh location for 36 hours successful March 2017 and walked for miles to the Pentland Hills, yet getting assistance astatine a constabulary station.

"We’ve had galore scares implicit galore years," said Scott. "Literally each clip would instrumentality 4 oregon 5 months and this 1 conscionable became excessively unbearable for her.

"Suicide is preventable, and for galore years Jenny prevented suicide."

Scott's interrogation comes astatine a clip erstwhile mental wellness problems are connected the rise successful Scotland - with much women than men reporting issues crossed each property groups successful the past census.

Much of Jenny's beingness was spent moving with intelligence wellness charities and initiatives, sharing her ain acquisition successful an effort to assistance others.

The mates spearheaded the 100 Streets situation - a run that aimed to support radical progressive and amended their intelligence wellbeing.

Exercise and spending clip outdoors was important to some of them - Scott being the member of erstwhile Scotland rugby skipper Gavin, and the most-capped subordinate astatine the clip helium retired.

The mates besides worked with Grangemouth Stags rugby nine aft they mislaid members to suicide.

Scott has promised to proceed arsenic an advocator for intelligence health.

"She was beautiful, she was everything to me," helium said. "She gave truthful overmuch to different people. She ne'er realised what she did, the interaction she had connected people.

"The 1 happening I’ve learned is conscionable perceive to people. Be much sympathetic to different people, assistance different people.

"Anybody retired determination who has a household subordinate oregon person - delight conscionable clasp their hand, perceive to them and assistance them done their acheronian days."