Opinion ID: 4549439
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Drommond’s Mental Health Problems

Text: After the Divorce ¶15 After the divorce, Drommond went to live with his parents and stayed there until June 2005. Dr. Linda Gummow—a neuropsychologist and Drommond‘s expert witness at trial— detailed much of Drommond‘s mental health history during this time. ¶16 Dr. Gummow first outlined Drommond‘s mental health. She said that Drommond was diagnosed with major depressive disorder at the end of 2004, and at the beginning of the next year, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, explained Dr. Gummow, is ―a major mood disorder.‖ She further explained that, to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a person must have had at least one manic episode—which is an ―episode[] of very high mood, way beyond normal elation‖—and episodes of depression, which are episodes of ―very extremely low moods.‖ 4 Cite as: 2020 UT 50 Opinion of the Court ¶17 A few months after the divorce, testified Dr. Gummow, Drommond cut himself, attempted suicide several times, and had ―hostile thoughts‖ toward Reed and his own family. As a result, he was admitted to Lakeview Hospital at the beginning of May 2005, where he stayed for about five days. ¶18 Dr. Gummow said that while Drommond was at Lakeview Hospital, he was treated by several physicians and received many diagnoses of his mental health problems. At various times at the hospital, Drommond was diagnosed with bipolar disorder not otherwise specified (bipolar disorder NOS),1 schizoaffective disorder, and—upon discharge—bipolar disorder one.2 ¶19 Dr. Gummow testified that after being discharged from Lakeview Hospital, Drommond had ―no treatment‖ other than being ―given some bottles of pills.‖ Dr. Gummow said that this was a mistake—that he should have seen a mental health professional once a week, that ―his medication should have been monitored,‖ and that ―his moods should have been tracked very regularly.‖