A Measure of the Problem

On the surface, determining a person’s sense of loneliness and social isolation should be straightforward: just ask them how they feel and who they are socially connected with. But the reality is much more complicated, says Professor Chen Yu-chih, Assistant Professor...

A Slippery Slope to Depression

As many as 40 per cent of middle-aged and elderly adults may suffer from chronic loneliness, meaning there is a discrepancy between their preferred and actual social relations. That puts them at risk for depression. But what is the mechanism that links the two?...

Life outside the Law in China

The Chinese central government has introduced many policies over the years to spur economic growth and curtail excesses such as corruption. But there have been unintended consequences. For instance, policies to develop coastal cities have attracted millions of...

The Suicide Watch

Last autumn, when classes resumed following the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a feeling of relief that life could go back to normal for children and youths. Yet almost the opposite happened. From August to October 2023, there were 16 reported cases of suicide attempts...

Stuck on Scrolling

Facebook came in for a harsh grilling earlier this year when the CEO of parent company Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, was accused in a US Senate hearing of having ‘blood on his hands’. The reason was the mental health effects linked to the platform’s algorithms.Social media...