Young still most prone to suicide

Suicide is the leading cause of death for Chinese people aged 15 to 34, and the fifth biggest killer - after cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and accidental death - among all age groups, a report by the Chinese Association for Mental Health said yesterday.

On average there is one suicide and eight attempts every two minutes on the mainland, leading to more than 250,000 deaths a year, it said.

Yang Fude, vice-president of Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, which specializes in mental health, said China has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, particularly among rural women.