A 19 year old employee of one of the banks in Apia is the latest of the rising statistics of suicide cases. Police reports say the young man booked a room at a hotel at Fugalei on the 21 October 2014. The number of suicides in Samoa has been decreasing in recent years. However, according Read more
Shortland Street’s episode addressing youth suicide has been met with mixed reactions online, with some praising how the show dealt with the sensitive topic, while others indicated it had gone too far. Last Thursday’s episode saw the character of 15-year-old Kane Jenkins (played by Auckland teenager KJ Apa) attempt to end his life after a Read more
Police are receiving 12,000 attempted or threatened suicide calls a year, increasing the strain on their resources. The national figure of 11,939 calls last year amounts to an average of nearly 33 a day – and the figures have been rising steadily in the past five years. But police say they have little expertise in Read more
“Soul Seeing” editor Mike Leach asked me to write on what I wish people knew about depression in light of Robin Williams’ suicide. Here is what I wish for. I wish people knew that the soul of someone who dies of suicide is as perfect as the moment God created it, that depression is an Read more
Depression is a major, if not the major, cause of suicide. Every year, almost one million people die from suicide around the world. Depression is often seen as a disorder of the developed world; mental disorders – in particular depression but also disorders from alcohol misuse – have been clearly linked to suicide in high-income Read more
Mystery surrounds the reasons behind the killing of all members of a family whose children went to a Catholic school in rural New South Wales. The bodies of Kim Hunt, 41, and her three children Fletcher, 10, Mia, 8 and Phoebe 6, were found on the family’s property near Lockhart on Tuesday. The next day Read more
So many have been shocked by the news of Robin Williams and what appears to be his self-inflicted death. For years, he was to me a poster-child for depression. Laughter became his shield, as it has for many who suffer from mental anguish, but he still was internally haunted. I know in my own struggles Read more
The Vatican’s newspaper has acknowledged actor Robin Williams, who took his own life and was found dead on August 11. In a brief article, L’Osservatore Romano called the comedian and actor an “unforgettable clown with a heart of gold”. Williams had recently been battling severe depression , according to his publicist. He was known to Read more
Comedian and actor Robin Williams died on August 11, 2014. According to local law enforcement authorities, he probably died by suicide. Williams had it all: a rare talent, a great career, family, friends. However, talent, wealth, fame, family, and friends can mean nothing when you suffer from an acute, deep depression, and believe you have Read more
Dr Philip Nitschke, the Australian euthanasia campaigner dubbed “Dr Death”, has had his medical registration suspended with effect throughout Australia. The South Australian Board of the Medical Board of Australia used its emergency powers in making the decision to “keep the public safe”. The measure is an interim action, separate to other inquiries the regulator Read more