Sue Bradford's son also struggled with mental illness.
The Green Party is calling for education and mental health authorities to be investigated over the death of North Shore teenager Toran Henry.
The 17-year-old Takapuna Grammar student was found dead at his home 13 days ago - a day after he suffered a severe beating at school,
reported to have been watched by 15 students and recorded on a mobile phone video.
He was being treated for depression at the Waitemata District Health board's mental health unit for adolescents.
Police have confirmed they are investigating his death.
Green Party MP Sue Bradford said yesterday that there should be an impartial inquiry into how Toran was treated by Marinoto, the Waitemata adolescent mental health unit, and by Takapuna Grammar.
"I am interested in whether Toran was being offered adequate care from the adolescent mental health unit, and whether ongoing under-resourcing of adolescent and mental health services may be a factor in this situation," she said.
"It is an indictment of our society that our health system appears to accept lower funding for children's and young people's mental health needs as a fact of life, rather than something that must be addressed as a priority."
Ms Bradford said she lost a teenage son to mental illness.
"My son also had problems during his school years, particularly at one Auckland school, which simply kicked him out without going through any formal processes when they couldn't find a way of dealing with his mental health issues."
- NZPA
