Heartbroken mum’s plea after This Morning star teen took personal life

The heartbroken parents of Matthew Lock, whose ADHD went undiagnosed for years, have called for better screening and warned of the link between the condition and suicide and addiction

The heartbroken parents of a This Morning expert who died aged just 19 have pleaded for ADHD screening in schools to help save lives.

Matthew Lock died in 2023 after developing an addiction to alcohol and ketamine linked to his condition. The talented teenager, a Labour councillor and campaigner, made several appearances on ITV’s breakfast show before tragically taking his own life.

Despite his parents Richard and Christine desperately trying to get much-needed support, his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) went undiagnosed for years. The couple, from Sefton in Merseyside,have called for schools and GPs to ramp up screening for the condition, which affects around one in 20 children.

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Christine told The Mirror: “I understand that when people have lost somebody, especially a child, they go on to fight for them. I’ve looked at that in the past and wondered how does the parent have the emotion to go on?

“But now I get it. It’s what gets us up. We don’t want to see another child take their life or have a poor mental health outcome. We want children to thrive.

“And they can when they understand. We could have had different conversations with Matthew and we could have understood each other, but we didn’t understand Matthew.

“He didn’t understand himself.” She said Matthew – who was diagnosed as autistic when he was 14 – was self-medicating when he was drinking, with growing evidence showing a link between ADHD and addiction.

The bereaved parents set up the Matthew Lock ADHD Charity in the wake of his death. They were desperate to tackle the extraordinary waiting times families face to get a diagnosis and highlight the impact of the condition.

They believe that digital screening in schools and better training for GPs can be transformative – and mean hundreds of thousands of kids can get the support they need.

Christine said: “If a child needs a pair of glasses or a crutch or anything to help them, you wouldn’t deny it to them. So it’s help, it’s accommodation, it’s strategies, coping mechanisms and understanding how the ADHD brain works.

“Because of the waiting times, these things are turning into the point where they’re getting into crisis.”

Richard said support and advice for parents was “non-exisistant” as they struggled to help Matthew. He said: “It was only after Matthew’s death that we now understand the link between 50% of people with ADHD having an addiction problem. That could be drugs, that could be drink alcohol, gambling, it can be an eating disorder.

“If that then goes undiagnosed, what does that do for the mental state of that person? They’re going to go into a deep spiral. If we can get screening done early then lives can be changed.”

At a young age Matthew developed a fascination with vacuum cleaners. He amassed a collection of more than 150, and became known as TheVacMat for his TV reviews on This Morning.

“He was always doing something in the community. He was funny, kind, had a good set of mates,” said Christine. “He was a joy to be with.”

The proud mum said she believed her son was destined to become an MP. Tragically he died in September 2019 in an impulsive act while under the influence of ketamine.

On Tuesday MPs heard calls for ADHD screening and support to be improved. Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson, who knew Matthew well, told The Mirror: “Matty was a much-loved member of our community, and many people in Maghull and across Sefton will remember him fondly.

“Christine and Richard have turned unimaginable loss into action that could save lives. It’s through their work that we are now properly recognising suicide as a real risk for people living with ADHD — and we have to act on that knowledge by securing earlier diagnosis and getting support to people quickly, through both the NHS and schools.

“More than 600,000 people are stuck waiting for an ADHD assessment. Early diagnosis changes lives — delays cost them. Matty Lock’s family were told he was autistic at 14, but his ADHD wasn’t diagnosed until much later.

“We need faster ADHD assessments backed by GPs and nurses, so people get help when it actually matters. And schools need access to screening tools for ADHD so support starts early, not after years of struggle.”

For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.