Suicide epidemic
The week's news at a glance.
Beijing
Suicide is now the leading cause of death among young adults in China, the government said this week. A quarter of a million Chinese kill themselves every year, and another 3 million make unsuccessful suicide attempts. Many suicides are college students who leave notes expressing their regret at failing to live up to their parents’ expectations. “Society is full of pressure and competition, so young people, lacking experience in dealing with difficulties, tend to get depressed,” Liu Hong, a Beijing psychiatrist, told China Daily. China has just one psychiatrist for every 100,000 people, compared with 16 per 100,000 in the U.S.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: March 30, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published