Fan Wang - BBC News
Fri, July 7, 2023
Coco Lee was a household name in China.
Pop singer Coco Lee's death has shocked the Chinese-speaking world, and sparked discussions of mental health issues on China's social media.
Lee passed away after being in a coma since attempting to take her own life on the weekend, according to a Facebook post from her older sisters Carol and Nancy. She was 48.
They also disclosed that she had been suffering from depression in recent years.
A household name in China, the Hong-Kong born American singer was remembered for her electrifying energy and megawatt smile on stage and in front of the public. And many people were in disbelief after the news broke late at night on Wednesday.
"I can't believe this. She was always the sunshine girl who loved to sing, dance and smile," a comment liked by more than 3,000 times on the country's Twitter-like platform Weibo reads.
"Is there still any happy person in this world then?" said another top-liked comment.
As tributes poured in, many focused on the mental health issue her family had mentioned.
Hashtags such as "how close depression is near you", "symptoms of depression" have been trending on different online platforms, state media outlets like CCTV, People's Daily and China Daily have put out content to raise people's awareness of depression and mental illness.
"People can feel this has apparently become a more and more pressing matter," says Dr Jia Miao, assistant professor of sociology at Shanghai New York University.
It is symptomatic of an alarming situation facing China: a rapidly growing number of people suffering from mental health issues, and a medical network not yet fully ready to cope.
Depression, or any mental illness, has long carried stigma in Chinese society. The Chinese word for mental illness, 'jingshen bing' sounds similar to a derogatory term for a mad person, 'shenjing bing', and people who have mental health issues would always be seen as someone out of their minds.
Chinese patients were largely underdiagnosed, according to Ke Ren, founder of social media account "Depression Research Institute".
"We would hear things like 'someone didn't get a good grade at school so they jumped off the building',"says Ms Ren. "But we never got a chance to ask those people 'what happened?', and what kind of help they needed."
According to a survey, one in every seven Chinese residents would suffer from at least one type of mental disorder diseases in lifetime.
Over the last 10 to 15 years, as China's economy quickly advanced, pressure on individuals have increased.
Chinese people have been burnt out as competitions at school and in the workplace have become more fierce, and mental health issues have gained attention from society, said Dr Miao from Shanghai New York University.
"As more people found themselves suffering from these issues, they became more willing to share their experiences with their family and friends, and seek professional help, and that changed the attitude towards this topic," she added.
Numbers show that China's depressed population has risen sharply. According to China Mental Health Survey which was released in 2019, one in every seven Chinese residents would suffer from at least one type of mental illness in their lifetime.
Even people who are widely seen as successful began to share their experiences.
In an article published in 2015, Ren Zhengfei, founder of tech giant Huawei, revealed he had once suffered from severe depression and anxiety. Zhang Chaoyang, founder of tech company Sohu, has addressed his past experience of depression several times openly.
The pandemic and China's extremely strict "zero-Covid" policy have also taken a toll on people.
"Mental health issues occurred during the pandemic. [Trouble with] people's income, trouble to find a job - people's anxiety has always been there, and is even increasing," Dr Miao said.
Earlier this year, the death of four young people by suicide at a famous tourist attraction in Hunan province sparked fierce discussion about mental health and social pressure in China.
The Chinese government has been trying to tackle this.
Dr Miao explained schools and universities are now required to have mental health consultants, and in big cities community units have designated people to look after elderly people's mental health.
But one of the most pressing matters is that there are not enough qualified professionals. There were only 64,000 psychiatrists in China by the end of 2021, according to state media China Youth Daily.
"Compare to the fast pace of social awareness, the country has a long way to go on diagnose and treatment in terms of mental health illnesses," added Dr Miao.
Coco Lee: Hong Kong-born singer dies at 48 after suicide
07/06/2023July 6, 2023
Coco Lee — the first Chinese-descent singer to grace the Oscar stage in 2001 — had been suffering from depression for a few years. She had fans around the world.
Hong Kong-born American singer Coco Lee died on Wednesday after attempting to take her own life, her family announced.
The 48-year old had suffered depression in recent years, "but her condition has deteriorated drastically over the last few months,” Lee's sisters said in an Instagram post.
She attempted suicide over the weekend and was rushed to a hospital where she was in a coma.
"Although Coco sought professional help and did her best to fight the depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her,” the statement said.
Lee died in Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong, where she had been living.
"We are thankful to God for giving us such a kind angel," her sisters wrote on Instagram.
Lee's career in music extended around 30 years.
Who was Coco Lee?
Lee, born in British-ruled Hong Kong on January 17, 1975, was a beloved personality in Asia for her vocal riffs and soulful ballads.
Her fluency in Cantonese, Mandarin and English helped Lee to have a fan base not only in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, but also in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia, as well as Australia and the US.
Lee was initially a Mandopop singer, and was hugely popular in the 1990s and 2000s.
In 1996, her debut album "Coco Lee" became the best selling album of that year in Asia.
She was the voice of heroine Fa Mulan in the Mandarin version of the Disney hit Mulan and also sang the Mandarin version of the movie's theme song "Reflection."
Coco Lee performing at the Oscars
In 1999, Lee debuted her first full English-language album, "Just No Other Way," which featured more R&B-influenced hits like "Do You Want My Love."
From that album, "Before I Fall in Love" was chosen as the theme song for the Richard Gere and Julia Roberts rom-com "Runaway Bride."
Lee performed one of her songs, "A Love before time" from the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" — at the 2001 Academy Awards, which made her the first Chinese descent singer to grace the Oscar stage.
ara/wd (AP, Reuters)
Editor's note: If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in the world, at this website: https://www.befrienders.org/
07/06/2023July 6, 2023
Coco Lee — the first Chinese-descent singer to grace the Oscar stage in 2001 — had been suffering from depression for a few years. She had fans around the world.
Hong Kong-born American singer Coco Lee died on Wednesday after attempting to take her own life, her family announced.
The 48-year old had suffered depression in recent years, "but her condition has deteriorated drastically over the last few months,” Lee's sisters said in an Instagram post.
She attempted suicide over the weekend and was rushed to a hospital where she was in a coma.
"Although Coco sought professional help and did her best to fight the depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her,” the statement said.
Lee died in Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong, where she had been living.
"We are thankful to God for giving us such a kind angel," her sisters wrote on Instagram.
Lee's career in music extended around 30 years.
Lee was the first Chinese singer to establish herself in the American market
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
Who was Coco Lee?
Lee, born in British-ruled Hong Kong on January 17, 1975, was a beloved personality in Asia for her vocal riffs and soulful ballads.
Her fluency in Cantonese, Mandarin and English helped Lee to have a fan base not only in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, but also in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia, as well as Australia and the US.
Lee was initially a Mandopop singer, and was hugely popular in the 1990s and 2000s.
In 1996, her debut album "Coco Lee" became the best selling album of that year in Asia.
She was the voice of heroine Fa Mulan in the Mandarin version of the Disney hit Mulan and also sang the Mandarin version of the movie's theme song "Reflection."
Coco Lee performing at the Oscars
In 1999, Lee debuted her first full English-language album, "Just No Other Way," which featured more R&B-influenced hits like "Do You Want My Love."
From that album, "Before I Fall in Love" was chosen as the theme song for the Richard Gere and Julia Roberts rom-com "Runaway Bride."
Lee performed one of her songs, "A Love before time" from the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" — at the 2001 Academy Awards, which made her the first Chinese descent singer to grace the Oscar stage.
ara/wd (AP, Reuters)
Editor's note: If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in the world, at this website: https://www.befrienders.org/
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