International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience
Open Access

Abstract

China has the largest number of international students in the world, which accounted for 25% of all international students. Canada is one of the four major countries where Chinese parents would send their children. According to China Counsel General, the number of Chinese overseas students in BC attained 50,000 in 2017. With the increased number of Chinese overseas students, many have involved in incidents. More than 31 oversea deaths around the world occurred in the last two years. Among them, Yu was announced that he died by suicide in 2017. Safety became a salient issue among Chinese young overseas students. The purpose of this study is to investigate 17-year-old student Yu Lin Hai case and discuss issues of mental health and safety in young overseas students. Methods: A case study design was used. Seven interviews and field observation was conducted. Newspaper reports were collected. The case will be presented. Discussion: It involves potential psycho-socio-cultural influencers. Findings: Is Yu case a suicide or a murder? Recommendations for oversea young students include oversea preparation, safety education, cultural adaptation, rapid response to incidence, after crisis interventions and support from government and community.

Biography

Dr Lyren Chiu is an educator, researcher, mental health clinician, and community advocate. Dr Chiu’s program of research focuses on immigrant health, traditional medicine, and integrative service, with its emphasis on cancer and mental health care. Dr Chiu has investigated concepts of spirituality, spiritual resources, spiritual choice, methodology (investigating spirituality), transcendence, the meaning of life, TCM practice in BC, use of CAM, an integrative healthcare service (ethnographic study), and others. As a consequence, she has published numerous articles in these areas. Dr Chiu has founded and actively participated in several not-for-profit organizations, community services, social enterprises, and political campaigns. Dr Chiu was recognized as both a “visionary” by Vancouver Women’s Magazine in 2009 and a “change agent” by the Diasporas Project led by SFU in 2012 for her work in educating Canadian society about the values and practices of integrated healing. Dr Chiu recently has involved in the psychology of murder investigations.

E-mail: lyren.chiu@gmail.com