In a bid to address the alarming rates of suicide among Native American youth, two tribal nations have taken legal action against major social media companies. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles county court, targets Meta Platforms (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram), Snap Inc. (owner of Snapchat), ByteDance (parent company of TikTok), and Read more
The death of Hong Kong singer and Disney “Mulan” voice actress Coco Lee on July 5 has left many mourning an international star who struggled with depression to the extent of wanting to take her own life at a relatively young age. It has also focused attention once more on mental health in China, public Read more
The suicide rate in Thailand, especially among teenagers, is on the rise, with experts attributing it to increased stress and despondency fueled by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and resultant economic problems. According to data from last year, the nationwide suicide rate has risen to 7.37 per 100,000 people from 6.64 the year before. Among Thai Read more
Mental health conditions amongst New Zealand youth have doubled in the past decade. Mental health experts are describing it as “a silent pandemic of psychological distress.” Last month Koi Tū, a think tank and research centre at the University of Auckland, published a commentary Youth Mental Health in Aotearoa New Zealand: Greater Urgency Required. Sir Read more
Warning: This article is about suicide and may be distressing for some readers. Health minister Jonathan Coleman said. “One suicide is one too many so we’ve got to work on getting that rate down, no question about it. “We just can’t have young people with their whole lives ahead of them taking their lives. It’s Read more
Pacific youth suicide is complex: There is no single explanation as to why our young people choose to die by their own hands. It is complex too for those of us who have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide. We are consumed by the question ‘Why?’ and caught in self-blame and tortuous Read more
If it takes a village to raise a child then it takes one to kill a teenager, as well, or at least that is the premise of Netflix’s provocative new series, “13 Reasons Why,” based on Jay Asher’s 2007 book of the same name. The show depicts the series of events that led to the Read more
Paris Jackson, the 15-year-old daughter of the late singer Michael Jackson, cut her wrists and swallowed a bottle of pills June 6. As she recovers, one in six high school students will seriously consider ending their lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause of death for Read more