Beijing: One out of every five adults in
South China`s boom city, Shenzhen, where the communist giant
set up its first SEZ, suffers mental problems, a government
survey has found.
The survey covered more than 7,000 people aged over
18, of whom 21 per cent said they had experienced
psychological difficulties at some stage of their lives and 17
per cent said they had mental problems right now, the
Municipal Health Department of Shenzhen said.
But the definition of "mental problems" is not clear.
If the term is construed in a broad way to cover worries and
anxiety of all kinds, then the figures are scarcely
remarkable.
Despite this, health experts insist that the stresses
of modern life are taking a heavy toll on people`s peace of
mind. The respondents included permanent as well as
temporary Shenzhen residents and were from different walks of
life, it said.
”If the same ratio applies to all residents, it would
mean 1.64 million of the total 7.77 million adult population
in Shenzhen have mental problems sometimes in their lives and
1.34 million of them need counselling right now," Xinhua news
agency quoted the document as saying.
The survey was jointly sponsored by the Municipal
Departments of Health, Public Security, Civil Affairs and
Labour and Social Security. Psychologists from Beijing
University provided technical guidance.
Despite the staggering number of people with some kind
of mental or emotional problem, Shenzhen, a city of migrants
that has prospered with China`s reform and opening up drive,
reports a severe shortage of professionals to help them
tackle the crisis, director of the city`s psychological
crisis intervention centre, Lin Xiongbiao said.
”We have no more than 400 certified counsellors, much
less than what is needed for the stressed-out population," he
said.
Meanwhile, Shenzhen hospitals have only 10 per cent of
all the psychiatrists needed to ensure citizens` mental
well-being, president of Kangning hospital, Hu Jize said.
”Experts say there should be at least one psychiatrist
for every 10,000 people," he said, "which means Shenzhen needs
nearly 1,000 but we have only around 100."
The stress of living in a highly competitive and
fast-paced society is perturbing a growing number of Chinese.
The Ministry of Health claims about 16 million people suffer
from mental disorders in China, but experts claim up to 100 million
-- including at least 30 million young -- may suffer from some
kind of mental or psychological discomfort.
Spending on mental illnesses currently takes 20 per
cent of the country`s health care budget, and the World Health
Organisation has forecast a five per cent increase by 2020.
Bureau Report