THE daughter of a Hereford woman who took her own life after suffering with anxiety and depression has urged for mental health issues to be spoken about more openly.

Lucy Lloyd believes the stigma of mental health must be urgently addressed and that people need to be more aware of what sufferers are facing.

Her mother, 49-year-old Julie Lloyd, suffered from both anxiety and depression for about 18 months before she was reported missing on February 23.

Sadly, her body was found in the River Wye at Bartonsham by a farm worker the following afternoon.

An inquest held at Hereford Town Hall last week heard Ms Lloyd had been receiving support from a mental health worker and a mental health recovery team.

She had experienced a difficult childhood which had recently led to her suffering from anxiety and depression.

Paying tribute to her mum, Lucy Lloyd said: “She was a beautiful lady. She never had a bad word to say about anybody and devoted her life to us from the minute we were born.

“She was thoughtful and loving, and so chilled out – nothing ever fazed her until she became poorly.

“I need to stress how much there needs to be more awareness of mental health needs and for people to speak out about the issues our mum went through.

“I think people are scared most of the time to come out and say they have mental health issues because others just make assumptions but I think there needs to be more awareness.”

Ms Lloyd, who lived with her daughter Lucy, granddaughter Lola and son Tommy Michael, had left a goodbye message on Facebook.

DS Mark Jinks, with West Mercia Police, said Ms Lloyd’s forearm had been marked with waterproof ink stating her name and age before ruling out third party involvement.

Pathologist, Dr Mark Hayes, said Ms Lloyd died as a result of drowning.

Coroner for Herefordshire, Mark Bricknell, recorded that she took her own life.