The Ministry of Health and Welfare recently announced the top 10 causes of death for Taiwanese last year. For the first time in 14 years, suicide is back on the list. Suicide rates have increased across the board among individuals between the ages of 15 and 65 — an upward trend highlighting the urgent need to address the public’s physical and mental health.
The work Suicide: A Study in Sociology by 19th century French sociologist Emile Durkheim analyzes the motives and classifications of suicide. Durkheim asserted that suicide is a social phenomenon and that an individual’s suicide is inextricably linked to their connection with society — views that are thought-provoking to this day. Suicide prevention not only requires the support of the healthcare system, but also involves the shaping of broader social structures and societal atmosphere.
In recent years, Taiwan’s suicide rate has consistently been about 20 percent higher than the global average — a figure that warrants a deep investigation into its underlying causes. Most reports indicate that the leading causes of suicide for younger individuals are emotional frustrations and difficulties adapting to work. For middle-aged individuals, workplace and financial pressures are the main factors. The sharp rise in fraud has also been considered a possible contributing factor.
However, aside from personal struggles and the short-term impact of specific social events, we must pay greater attention to changes in the overall social atmosphere. Namely, there are three structural factors worth consideration:
First is increasing wealth inequality. The spectrum of socioeconomic differences is becoming more polarized. According to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics’ report on household wealth distribution last year, the average wealth among the top 20 percent of Taiwanese households in 2021 was NT$51.33 million (US$1.77 million), while the bottom 20 percent held only NT$770,000 — meaning that the average household wealth for the top 20 percent was a staggering 66.9 times higher than for the bottom 20 percent. This gap has widened drastically compared with 30 years ago, when there was a difference of about 16.8 times.
This is more than a mere matter of financial comparison — it represents growing inequality between the starting points for the next generation and, more importantly, the loss of upward mobility and a worsening sense of relative deprivation. Poverty is undoubtedly difficult, but what really leaves people feeling hopeless is when there is no visible path forward — no hope for the future. The era of hard work being the key to success seems increasingly out of reach.
Second are major shifts in technological development and social values. In the age of information overload and the widespread use of social media, genuine human interaction is increasingly rare, thereby intensifying feelings of social isolation. For individuals with an already fragile mental state, seeing carefully curated images of the “perfect lives” of influencers can become a major source of stress. This is especially true for young people, as they are more likely to experience negative feelings such as disappointment, anxiety and depression as a result. At the same time, the anonymous nature of the Internet has led to increased bullying and exclusion, a phenomenon that leaves the fundamental human desire for recognition and belonging unsatisfied — this can greatly increase the risk of suicide.
Last are the gaps in the social support system. In today’s mainstream media, public discourse tends to focus on social issues primarily concerning the middle and upper classes — things like global political and economic trends, domestic political discord and skyrocketing housing prices. However, these topics — while important — often feel extremely distant and irrelevant to those at the lower levels of society, and do nothing to resolve their daily existential anxieties. The issues that concern the middle class are broadcast in the media for widespread discussion, but the lower-class struggle for survival rarely receives public attention.
French philosopher Albert Camus, a recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature, once said: “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.”
While we should respect the decisions of individuals such as cognitive scientist Daniel Kahneman and veteran sports commentator Fu Da-ren (傅達仁), who both chose assisted suicide under their special circumstances, the vast majority of people pressured by external circumstances, economic hardship and physical or emotional exhaustion must seek appropriate solutions. Although Taiwan has organizations such as the Taiwanese Society of Suicidology and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Department of Mental Health, while the Suicide Prevention Act (自殺防治法) was passed in 2019, the authorities must strengthen efforts to address Taiwan’s increasing suicide rate.
Today, the government continues to call for increased economic development. However, beneath economic growth, should we not also heed those who suffer in silence — to those helpless in the shadow of prosperity? This is not just a medical issue, but one of social justice and humanity.
Huang Rui-bin is a physician.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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