The Church of England priest has praised the group therapy he received from St Andrew's Healthcare during a period of mental ill-health he experienced during the late 1970s.
The 56-year-old said: "I was an inpatient here myself when I was 17, when I had an episode of clinical depression and a crisis that followed."
"I was an inpatient at Isham House - I was in group therapy there and it saved my life. It literally saved my life."
Rev Coles visited the site as part of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month. He is in a civil partnership with David Coles.
"It literally saved my life" @RevRichardColes visited our Northampton hospital yesterday to tell us about his time as an inpatient at St Andrew's, his mental health, sexuality, and the people who have inspired him. Watch the full video here https://t.co/lpxzrb5uUl #LGBT #recovery pic.twitter.com/5A9QvTAB5U
— St Andrew's (@StAndrewsCare) February 21, 2019
The clergyman, who came to prominence during the 1980s as one half of The Communards band, met staff and patients.
Rev Coles has previously spoken about his experience of mental ill health.
While he was a contestant on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, Rev Coles was quoted by the Daily Express as saying he experienced "two severe episodes" of depression in his life.
He said: "I think that I will always be vulnerable to it but I am much better at handling it now and don't fall into the hole like I used to."
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