A rising number of youth suicides in Manila is drawing attention to the urgent need for enhanced mental health support in the Philippines. Fueled by emotional distress and digital influences, these incidents are prompting the deeply religious nation to more openly address mental health challenges. Advocacy groups are pushing for greater resources for vulnerable Filipinos.

Rising youth suicides in Manila, fuelled by emotional distress and digital triggers, have spurred calls to expand support for vulnerable Filipinos, as the deeply religious country begins to confront mental health more openly. In 2018, Macy Castaneda Lee, a 16-year-old Manila high school student, thought about ending it all after grappling with past trauma, including childhood molestation. Now a journalist and founder of the mental health advocacy group Talang Dalisay, Lee has turned that ordeal....