Ned Vizzini, Author of 'It's Kind of a Funny Story' and TV Writer, Has Died at 32

Chris Columbus and Ned VizziniCREDIT: SABRA EMBURY

Bestselling author, television writer and essayist Ned Vizzini died Thursday, The Los Angeles Times reports. The cause of death was suicide.

Vizzini was the author of young-adult books "It's Kind of a Funny Story, "The Other Normals," "Be More Chill" and "Teen Angst? Naah..." He also wrote for MTV's "Teen Wolf," the ABC drama series, "Last Resort" and, most recently, for NBC's "Believe," the forthcoming series from J.J. Abrams and Alfonso Cuarón. 

He began writing for The New York Press at age 15, and since then his essays and criticism have appeared in the New York Times, the Daily Beast and other publications. He is the coauthor with Chris Columbus of the fantasy-adventure series "House of Secrets."

Vizzini suffered from depression, and his five-day stay at a hospital's psychiatric ward inspired "It's Kind of a Funny Story," which told the story of a depressed young man who becomes suicidal and checks into a psychiatric hospital. The film version of the book, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and starring Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifanakis and Emma Roberts, was released in 2010.

He lectured around the world on the topic of mental health.