 |
Mental Health Worries Addressed
It was a case of mind over mind Wednesday as hundreds of people gathered in Beijing to mark World Mental Health Day,according to today's China Daily.
Psychological doctors from the city's four hospitals specializing in mental health care attended a large publicity and counselling activity at the New World Centre in downtown Beijing.
``It is gratifying that there are so many passers-by today seeking counselling, which can help a lot in banishing social ignorance over mental health,'' Zhu Qingsheng, vice-minister of health, told the gathering.
However, in contrast to the greatly improved physical health conditions of Chinese people in the past tens years, mental health remains a serious concern, said Shen Yu, an expert from Beijing University's Mental Health Institute.
Official statistics show that 16 million patients with mental disorders have so far been registered in China.
And the incidence of illnesses as depression, neurosis, alcoholism, drug dependence and senile dementia is still increasing.
Early diagnosis and early treatments are very important to prevent serious mental diseases, said Ma Xin, deputy director of Beijing Anding Hospital, a specialized institution for mental disorders.
But ignorance and prejudice over mental health have become the biggest stumbling block for people, Ma noted.
``Since the beginning of this year when I was kicked out of my former company, I became hesitant, even afraid to talk with my companions in my new unit,'' said a 46-year man surnamed Xu at the counselling spot.
He added that he kept wondering how to deal with his problem due to his ignorance about mental health and was getting counselling for the first time at the temporary clinic.
Fan Chao, a young lady passing by the counselling services, joined Xu and said she and many people she knows often feel embarrassed at the idea of going to a mental health hospital for counselling because of widespread prejudice over mental problems.
To create a better social environment for mental health care, more counselling and treatment services will be encouraged and set up in communities, and more psychological doctors to be trained in the country, said Zhu Qingsheng, vice-minister of health.
China started to address mental health work in the late 1950s and expand services in response to calls from the World Health Organization£¨WHO £©¡£
Early last month, members in the WHO Western Pacific Region including China adopted a regional strategy on mental health. This was the first of its kind in the region that marks the beginning of a region-wide commitment to treating mental disorders.
The strategy will help guide the Western Pacific countries and regions in drafting policy on the rights of the mentally ill to competent and humane care.
It will also support countries and regions to plan health services for people suffering from mental illness.
In China, a Third National Conference on Mental Health Work is due to be held within the year.
A dozen governmental departments and organizations will jointly work out a long-term programme on mental health care improvement in the country.
Legislation is also on the way to better protect the legitimate right of those with mental illness and to provide them with better services.
Following are some facts on mental health released by the World Health Organization£¨WHO £©£º
Depression is the fourth largest contributor to disability of all health conditions in the world and is expected to be the second largest by 2020, second only to heart disease.
Mental and neurological disorders are the largest contributor to the disease burden £¨which includes death, ill-health and disability£© in the WHO Western Pacific Region where China belongs.
One in 10 young people suffers from mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment, yet fewer than one in five receives appropriate treatment at world average.
Only 20 per cent of people in the Western Pacific Region who seek medical attention have anxiety or depression or another mental disorder. In only half of these cases is the disorder recognized, and of those only half get some form of appropriate treatment.
One person in four will be affected by a mental disorder at some stage of life worldwide.
Poverty is a major contributor to mental disorders.
In any country, the poor are twice as likely to have mental disorders as the rich.
Conflicts, disasters and the displacement of people can increase the risk of mental problems.
Anxiety and depression are up to twice as common in women as men. Contributing factors related to this figure include women's social position, hormonal changes, including post-natal depression, and domestic and sexual violence.
Substance use disorders are more common in men than women.
People with mental disorders, particularly depression but also schizophrenia, are more likely to attempt or commit suicide. People abusing drugs and alcohol, people under stress and prisoners also have a higher risk of suicide.
Suicide accounts for 1100 deaths in the WHO Western Pacific Region every day.
In This Section
|