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Objective: Many people at risk of suicide do not actively seek help. Suicide prevention efforts need to involve the general public to provide appropriate support to those in need. It is important to investigate the intention to help those at risk of suicide and the factors associated with helping intentions in the general population. We aimed to assess the intention to help people at risk and associated factors using a national representative sample. Method: We conducted a national telephone survey of 1,087 Taiwanese adults and collected data regarding participants' socio-demographic characteristics, mental health status, helping intentions, misconceptions about suicide, and attitudes toward suicide and suicide prevention. Results: The prevalence of high intentions to help people at risk of suicide was 56.5%. Helping intentions did not differ by sex, educational level, employment status, marital status, or mental health status. Those with high helping intentions were younger, less likely to have misconceptions about suicide or agree that suicide is a personal choice, and more likely to believe that suicide is preventable and support suicide prevention measures. Conclusions: Suicide prevention education programs aimed to enhance helping intentions may usefully target debunking misconceptions about suicide and cultivating positive attitudes toward suicide prevention. HIGHLIGHTS: The prevalence of high intentions to help people at risk of suicide was 56.5%. Individuals with high intentions to help were less likely to hold misconceptions about suicide. Individuals with high intentions to help were less likely to believe that suicide is a personal choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egalitarian gender attitudes are linked to increased support for same-sex marriage, with previous studies mainly focusing on Western countries. Limited existing research from Asian countries often relied on non-representative, convenient samples. Taiwan, the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019, offers a valuable context. Since surveys before 2020 lacked questions on attitudes toward same-sex marriage, we utilized the 2020 PSFD data for a cross-sectional analysis. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between gender attitudes (assessed through six questions) and attitudes toward same-sex marriage, along with examining the moderation effects of socio-demographic variables. The results revealed significant associations between embracing egalitarian gender attitudes and increased support for same-sex marriage (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] ranged from 1.34 to 2.08, 95% CI = [1.15, 2.45]). Moderation analysis indicated that this connection appeared to be more pronounced among younger individuals, those who were not currently married, and those with higher educational attainment. Individuals who are older, less educated, or married and hold negative views on gender equality should be targeted for efforts to enhance their support for same-sex marriage. Advocating for gender equality aligns with principles of equality, nondiscrimination, and recognizing fundamental rights for all, irrespective of sexual orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Ketamine has become a new recreational drug of choice among young people in parts of Asia. Using national databases in Taiwan, this study aimed to (1) examine the yearly trend in the ketamine offence rate over time; (2) estimate the 3‐year risk of drug‐related re‐offence and its correlates among the first‐time offenders; and (3) estimate the 3‐year standardized mortality ratio (SMR) among the first‐time offenders. Design, Setting and Participants: Retrospective cohort studies of offenders for recreational ketamine use in a penalty system initiated in 2009. Offenders for recreational ketamine use were identified from the Administrative Penalty System for Schedule III/IV Substances database from 2009 to 2017, and the re‐offence rate and mortality among first‐time offenders were assessed via record‐linkage within the database as well as with both the criminal drug offence database and the national mortality database. The cohort from 2009 to 2016 (n = 39 178) was used for the recidivism analysis and the cohort from 2009 to 2013 (n = 25 357) was used for the 3‐year SMR analysis. Measurements Recidivism was estimated using survival analysis of the event as re‐arrest for using ketamine, more serious illicit drugs (Schedules I/II), or any illicit drugs (ketamine or Schedules I/II). SMRs were estimated for overall and cause‐specific death within 3 years after the first offence for ketamine use. Findings The age‐standardized rates for both prevalent (1.38 per 1000) and first‐time offenders (0.65 per 1000) peaked in 2013 and then decreased steadily. The 3‐year risk of re‐offence was 33.85% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 33.23–34.47%) for ketamine use and 39.52% (95% CI = 39.00–40.04%) for any illicit drug use. These first‐time offenders had an SMR of 4.9 (95% CI = 4.3–5.4) for overall mortality, 2.1 (95% CI = 1.6–2.7) for natural deaths and 7.6 (95% CI = 6.7–8.6) for unnatural deaths. Conclusions: Recreational ketamine use in Taiwan appears to lead not only to high risk for drug‐related re‐offence but also to excess mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the public's stance on physician-assisted dying (PAD) in Taiwan across different PAD scenarios and identify demographic and psychosocial factors associated with the levels of support., Design: Cross-sectional survey design. Independent variables included individual sociodemographic characteristics, healthcare professionals, perceived quality of life, formal caregiver experience, Patient Right to Autonomy Act (PRAA) awareness and advance care planning (ACP) preparedness., Setting: An online survey of the general population in Taiwan was conducted in 2022., Participants: A total of 3922 Taiwanese adults who completed all survey questions., Outcome Measures: Agreement levels with PAD in three scenarios: terminal illnesses, unbearable non-terminal pain and severe cognitive impairments. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine agreement with each PAD scenario as separate dependent variables in the first three models and overall agreement across all scenarios as the dependent variable in the fourth model., Results: High levels of public support for PAD were observed, with 86.2% supporting PAD for terminal illnesses, 79.2% for unbearable non-terminal pain and 72.6% for severe cognitive impairments. Support for PAD was associated with factors including younger age, male gender, lack of religious affiliation, a non-healthcare professional background, employment as a formal caregiver, lack of awareness of PRAA and higher preparedness in ACP., Conclusions: The results indicate a potential cultural shift in Taiwan towards greater emphasis on individual autonomy in end-of-life decisions. There appears to be significant public support for developing legal frameworks in favour of PAD, carefully considering the psychosocial factors that highlight the importance of individual rights in end-of-life care., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Asian countries account for approximately 60% of the world's suicides, but there is a great mismatch in the region between the scale of the problem and the resources available to tackle it. Despite certain commonalities, the continent itself is culturally, economically, and socially diverse. This paper reviews current epidemiologic patterns of suicide, including suicide trends, sociodemographic factors, urban/rural living, suicide methods, sociocultural religious influences, and risk and protective factors in Asia, as well as their implications. The observed epidemiologic distributions of suicides reflect complex interplays among the traditional value/culture system, rapid economic transitions under market globalization, availability/desirability of suicide methods, and sociocultural permission/prohibitions regarding suicides. In general, compared with Western countries, Asian countries still have a higher average suicide rate, lower male-to-female suicide gender ratio, and higher elderly-to-general-population suicide ratios. The role of mental illness in suicide is not as important as that in Western countries. In contrast, aggravated by access to lethal means in Asia (e.g., pesticide poisoning and jumping), acute life stress (e.g., family conflicts, job and financial security issues) plays a more important role than it does in Western countries. Some promising suicide prevention programs in Asia are illustrated. Considering the specific socioeconomic and cultural aspects of the region, community-based suicide intervention programs integrating multiple layers of intervention targets may be the most feasible and cost-effective strategy in Asia, with its populous areas and limited resources.

Nearly every society maintains legal norms that define those members of society qualified to participate in social affairs. Mental capacity and legal competence are deemed necessary conditions for legal actions to have legal validity. On Nov. 23, 2009, newly revised adult guardianship provisions came into effect in Taiwan. However, there has been lack of discussion with regard to how assessments of mental capacity and legal competence should be conducted on psychiatric patients. This paper reviewed relevant overseas literature on this subject and followed common practice in separating legal mental capacity into causal and functional components. The causal component predicates the diseases and illnesses that render the disability, while the functional component represents legally substantial impairments in terms of cognition, emotion and behavior. The paper explored functional component contents, including finance management, individual health care, independence in daily life, interpersonal relationships and communing. Findings pointed out that in setting up competence standards, a trade-off between respect for autonomy and beneficence is unavoidable. As Taiwan does not have rich empirical data on competence assessments and decisions, collaboration between the legal and psychiatric professions is recommended to engage in relevant research to enhance legal consistencies and the science of competence assessment.