TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Cancer has maintained its grim distinction as Taiwan's leading killer for more than four decades, according to data released Monday (June 13) by Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW, 衛福部). The ministry's annual mortality report shows a consistent pattern of deadly diseases, with heart disease, pneumonia, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertensive diseases, and suicide rounding out the list of top causes claiming Taiwanese lives.
The troubling rise in self-harm has health officials concerned, with the ministry's Department of Statistics (統計處) Director Li Chiu-yen (李秋嬿) reporting 4,062 suicide deaths last year — a 4.2% increase from the previous year. While Taiwan saw encouraging decreases in suicide rates among children and seniors over 65, all other age groups experienced a worrying upward trend. Taiwan's standardized suicide mortality rate now stands at 13.4 per 100,000 people, placing mental health initiatives at the forefront of public health priorities.
Cheng Shu-hsin (鄭淑心), acting director of the Mental Health Department (心理健康司), characterized suicide as "a significant public health challenge" confronting Taiwan and other Asian nations, with young people particularly vulnerable. In response, her department has developed a comprehensive prevention framework that extends beyond clinical interventions. "We need to cultivate a society-wide culture that normalizes seeking help, encourages community support networks, and raises awareness about suicide prevention resources," Cheng explained during the Monday briefing.
Research commissioned by the ministry and conducted by National Taiwan University (NTU, 國立台灣大學) has identified several risk factors contributing to youth suicide, including problematic internet use, family disruption, and sleep disorders. Responding to rising adult suicide rates, officials launched a comprehensive mental health support program last August that has already served 54,000 Taiwanese citizens as of May. The bright spot in the otherwise sobering statistics comes from the elderly population, where Cheng attributes a notable decline in suicide rates to aggressive depression screening efforts that reached 700,000 seniors last year. ◼
>>> If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call 1995 to reach Taiwan's Suicide Prevention Line. Additional support is available through the Peace of Mind Line at 1925, operated under the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Taiwan's national health authority), or the Teacher Chang Foundation at 1980, a prominent Taiwanese mental health nonprofit organization.
