{
  "id": 9913096,
  "title": "‘They accepted the money but didn’t take care of my child’: what Luna Wong’s death reveals about the treatment of international students in the UK",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/they-accepted-the-money-but-didnt-take-care-of-my-child-what-luna",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-26T05:00:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Health",
    "slug": "guardian-health",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/sep/26/luna-wong-hong-kong-death-reveals-treatment-international-students-uk"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Luna Wong, a 16-year-old student from Hong Kong, found herself in a UK institution hoping for a fresh start to address her mental health struggles. However, her journey took a tragic turn just 10 months later. Luna had a unique affinity for photography and would often take pictures of ordinary Hong Kong scenes, capturing moments that others might overlook. Her curiosity and love for the world around her were apparent, even as her life in Hong Kong became increasingly confined due to political unrest and the Covid pandemic. By the age of 13, Luna was spending most of her time at home, attending virtual classes and interacting only through screens. Her mental health deteriorated, leading to a diagnosis of depression and anxiety, and she was prescribed a heavy regimen of antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, sleeping pills, ADHD medication, and an anti-psychotic drug. This combination of prescription drugs led to lethargy during the day, insomnia at night, and weight gain, which Luna found distressing. Despite her challenges, Luna remained curious, studying psychology and teaching herself about the human mind. She often offered advice to friends dealing with their own issues and harbored dreams of becoming a psychologist. Yet, the combination of her mental health issues and the physical side effects of her medication made it difficult for her to attend school regularly. Tragically, Luna's story ends with her taking her own life, revealing a concerning narrative about the treatment of international students facing mental health challenges in the UK.",
  "summary": "When her parents waved her off to study in England they hoped it would be a fresh start the 16-year-old needed after struggling with her mental health in Hong Kong. Instead, 10 months later, she was dead. What went so wrong? As a young teen, one of Luna Wong’s favourite things to do was to walk to a bridge near her home in Hong Kong and sit there for a while, listening to the traffic and the…",
  "key_points": [
    "16-year-old Luna Wong from Hong Kong sought mental health support in UK institution.",
    "Luna's mental health deteriorated at 13, leading to depression and anxiety diagnosis."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Luna Wong's tragic death highlights a disturbing gap in support for international students in UK institutions struggling with mental health issues, leaving them vulnerable to devastating consequences.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}