Latest news with #SamaritansofSingapore
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Singapore's suicide surge: why are more young people taking their own lives?
Financial pressures, the strain of caregiving and the demands of building a career are increasingly pushing Singaporeans in their thirties to breaking point, with experts warning of a sharp rise in burnout and suicide among the so-called sandwich generation. Advertisement Provisional statistics released last Saturday showed that 75 people in their thirties took their own lives in 2024, up from 66 the year before. This age group accounted for the highest number of suicides last year. According to the Samaritans of Singapore, people in their thirties face a unique constellation of complex pressures, from family issues and job instability to mounting mental health challenges. But suicide is rarely attributable to a single cause. Rather, it arises from what Dr Sharon Lu, principal clinical psychologist at Singapore's Institute of Mental Health, described as an 'interplay of biological, psychological, social and cultural risk factors', compounded by a lack of resilience. A customer withdraws banknotes from an ATM in Singapore. Financial pressures are among the myriad factors that drive people to suicide, experts say. Photo: AFP 'It is often assumed that depression is the cause of all suicides, but suicide is often due to the interaction of a myriad of factors and life circumstances,' Lu said. Advertisement 'Depression may be one of the many stressors an individual is struggling with, but someone who is not depressed can still be suicidal.'
AsiaOne
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Chinese actor Zhang Yiyang revealed to have been executed for murder of 16-year-old girlfriend , Entertainment News
Chinese actor Zhang Yiyang was recently revealed to have been executed by a firing squad in December last year for killing his 16-year-old girlfriend. He was 34 years old and is the first celebrity in China to have been handed a death sentence. According to a court document released by Xianyang, Shaanxi, his girlfriend surnamed Zhang - who was 15 years old when they first dated - had wanted to break up. Yiyang was opposed to it and threatened to kill himself during their quarrels. On Feb 26, 2022, he lured her into a forest in the guise of celebrating her birthday and cut her neck multiple times with a pocketknife, rupturing her carotid artery and windpipe. He then went home to change his clothes, before throwing them and her mobile phone into a river. The court document revealed he then tried to commit suicide in a hotel but was found by staff who called the police. The court sentenced him to death for intentional homicide, and he was executed on Dec 18, 2024. Yiyang's posthumous film Jie You Yin Sheng Guan premiered in March this year, and netizens recently took to Douban to give one-star ratings, criticising its release despite its lead actor being executed for murder. One netizen remarked: "The male lead actor was executed for murder, but the movie he starred in still premiered." Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928 Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 Community Health Assessment Team: 6493-6500/1 Counselling TOUCHline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252 TOUCH Care Line (for seniors, caregivers): 6804-6555 Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800 Online resources [[nid:720332]] syarifahsn@
AsiaOne
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
'There's no one whose kin doesn't die': Jet Li reveals his thoughts on death, why he doesn't attend funerals, daughter being suicidal
Jet Li, who was frequently plagued by rumours of his own demise, got candid about death in an interview recently. In a video interview with Chinese magazine Sanlian Lifeweek published on July 10, the 62-year-old China-born action star, who has been Singaporean since 2009, was asked if he ever felt "sad and regretful" about the death of a friend or senior. He responded: "Why should we feel sad and regretful? I think this is something that only avatars in games would feel." Jet, a staunch Buddhist, added that a lot of times in dramas, characters would often express regret about not meeting someone for the last time or fulfilling their wishes before they died. "For people around me who have died, those who know me would know that I wouldn't attend their funeral. There are others who said that I am heartless and too unpretentious, and I would tell them there's no one whose kin doesn't die," he added. Jet also shared that his youngest daughter Jada, now 22, had suicidal thoughts when she was 19 years old, and when she stepped out of it, both of them sat down to talk about afterlife arrangements. He said: "We had an honest conversation, because [death] is inevitable. Why should we avoid it? We had a good conversation about it. "A lot of people live with regrets and a life where they are not honest in facing situations. Because we are born, we will inevitably die. But we often said that death is not auspicious and shouldn't be talked about." Jet believes that rather than agonising about death, people should live their life well. He added: "Knowing that I will die, should I still worry about it every day till the day it happened, or knowing that it would happen someday, I should treasure the way I live every day? I think living well every day is more important." [[nid:719445]] Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800 Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928 Shan You Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 6741-0078 Fei Yue's Online Counselling Service: Tinkle Friend (for primary school children): 1800-2744-788
AsiaOne
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Johnny Depp reveals he has empty-nest syndrome, Entertainment News
Johnny Depp has "empty-nest syndrome". The 62-year-old actor — who has Lily-Rose, 25, and Jack, 22, with former partner Vanessa Paradis — misses the days his children were still young enough to call him "Papa" and he's amazed at how quickly they have grown up. He told the Sunday Times newspaper: "Years get away from us, don't they?... I'm of the empty-nest syndrome." Asked if he misses having his kids around, he replied: "Oh man, my kids growing up in the south of France in their youth? "I was Papa. I cannot tell you how much I loved being Papa. Then, suddenly, Papa was out the window. I was Dad. But Papa was awesome and I'm getting old enough for Papa to possibly come back. Some motherf***er's going to have to call me Papa!" The Pirates of the Caribbean star is currently living in London, but admitted the only place that has ever really felt like home was France. He said: "Well, I don't spend much time in the US. So there is the joint in the Bahamas or here. But home. Truly, the first time I felt I had a home was the place in the south of France where Vanessa and I raised the kiddies. That's the only place that ever felt like home." Although Lily-Rose is a successful actress in her own right, Johnny would never have wanted her to follow in his footsteps. Asked what advice he has given her, he said: "Sometimes kids say to me, 'I want to be an actor, what's your advice?' And I say, 'Don't be!' I know what's coming for them. "I was chucked on that road and the only advice that I can give is, 'Don't allow anyone to make you something you are not.' They'll want you to be a poster boy and it's tempting — a lot of money. And if that's the direction you want? Go for it. But don't let anybody choose for you." The Black Mass actor has never felt comfortable with fame and rarely even goes out with his friends because he doesn't want to bring unwanted attention their way. He said: "Well, to this day I just rarely go out. If friends invite me out for Mexican, I say, 'Dude, that's sweet of you but I will ruin your night.' My presence will bring attention and, Jesus, I have had almost 40 years of fame but I'm still not used to it. And I'm glad I'm not." Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800 Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928 Shan You Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 6741-0078 Fei Yue's Online Counselling Service: Tinkle Friend (for primary school children): 1800-2744-788 [[nid:716952]]
AsiaOne
23-06-2025
- AsiaOne
Man who allegedly slashed another man in Woodlands found dead at foot of HDB block, Singapore News
A man was found lying motionless at the foot of a Woodlands HDB block, days after he allegedly slashed another last Saturday (June 21). Based on preliminary investigations, no foul play is suspected, the police said. Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police said they received a call for assistance at Block 684A Woodlands Drive 73 at around 7.40pm, where a 33-year-old man allegedly injured the 31-year-old man with a knife and fled from the scene. When reporters from Shin Min Daily News arrived, the police had cordoned off a large area and a blue tent had been set up beside the mailboxes at the foot of the block — believed to be covering the body, the Chinese publication reported. A knife was also found lying in a grass patch not far from where the body lay, with no visible traces of blood. A resident reportedly told Shin Min that she heard a loud "thud", and minutes later, the police and an ambulance arrived. "I heard from neighbours that a man had apparently fallen from the building, and soon after, the police cordoned off the area," she said. Residents claimed that a quarrel had likely taken place in the unit before a man fell from the building. The unit was occupied by a mother and son, and a man was often seen coming in and out of the flat. According to Shin Min, the deceased was reportedly not staying in the unit, and is believed to have been involved in a suspected love dispute with the younger 31-year-old man, which eventually led to the incident. The younger man was later taken conscious to Woodlands Health Campus. Police investigations are ongoing. [[nid:718150]] Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800 Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928
