Missing Jenny Hastings, a kind and open person, has been frank about her mental health struggles

I thought about the dedication of the rescue services searching over and again for someone they didn’t even know, and then turned for home, hoping it was all a false alarm. But it wasn’t and the person they were looking for turned out to be someone I know.

Lots of people will be saying that about Jenny Hastings. She has a kind and open personality that makes her popular. Her husband is former Scotland international rugby star Scott Hastings, one of our most capped players ever. But Jenny shines in her own light.

When I contemplated running the Edinburgh 10K, Jenny persuaded me to do it. More than that, she offered to train me. In all weathers we pounded the pavements of north Edinburgh together until she deemed me to be match fit. On the day of the run, I beat my target time and that was totally down to her help and encouragement.

Confirming that she was missing, Scott and the family said they were absolutely heartbroken. Officially, it is a high-risk missing person case and the family say they are awaiting updates from the police. But they also confirmed Jenny’s struggles with mental health down the years.

She has been absolutely open about this and even spearheaded a charity campaign called the 100 Challenge to keep people active and improve their mental well-being. Jenny is also passionate about ending the stigma that still surrounds mental health and prevents people coming forward to get help.

Each year, one in four people experience a mental health issue and one in 100 suffer from a serious mental illness. We’re in the midst of a mental health crisis in this country and waiting times for treatment have never been longer. 

Jenny has good help and support and the most loving family all around her but, unlike physical illness, with mental illness the true extent of it is hidden. Only the person suffering knows how bad things really are. 

With awful irony, firefighters were at Wardie Bay, a happy place for Jenny, last weekend handing out water-safety leaflets. Her family said “unfortunately, her mind was not in a place of safety”.

What can come from what may be a tragedy? We shouldn’t be ashamed or afraid to ask for help ourselves and we should look out for others who might be in need of support or just someone to listen. 

It might just be checking in with a friend or family member or speaking to a stranger who seems to be in a bad place. That might not save lives but every journey has to start somewhere and the only barrier to it is a stigma that is way past its sell by date.

Every loss because of mental health problems sends out ripples that can lead to good. I’ll be dusting down my trainers and looking for somewhere to run again to raise funds for mental health charities and I’ll do it for Jenny with love and thanks.

*www.samaritans.org or call 116123