Mindy McCready had fear of ‘being stigmatised’

Dr. Drew Pinksy believes that Mindy McCready's "greatest fear" was being associated with her beau's death.

The 37-year-old country singer was found dead on the porch of her Arkansas home on Sunday.

She had been experiencing a fraught time of late, following the death of her fiancé David Wilson in January. His passing is still being investigated by police, although it is thought he also killed himself on the same porch where Mindy's body was found.

Dr. Drew, who worked with Mindy on his Celebrity Rehab TV programme in 2009, is convinced that David's death had a deleterious impact on her psyche.

"She was a lovely, lovely person, I spoke to her about a week and a half ago… and yes, she was absolutely shattered [by David's apparent suicide]," Dr. Drew told Extra.

"Her greatest fear was that if she should take care of herself -- get treatment, go back into the hospital -- that she would be accused of having killed him or be stigmatised and judged for going to the hospital."

Mindy struggled with mental health and alcohol abuse for several years and tried to commit suicide several times before, being hospitalised for slitting her wrists in 2008.

She is survived by two young sons: Zander, six, with Billy McKnight, and Zayne, 10 months, fathered by the late David.

USA Today reports that a memorial service will be held in Nashville, Tennessee for Mindy, although the date and time of the event has not yet been announced.