With World Mental Health Day falling on Oct. 10, mental illness is a particularly timely topic. Data shows that one in 13 people in China suffer from mental illness.
World Mental Health Day was first introduced in China in 1992 to raise public awareness about psychological diseases. The theme of this year's World Mental Health Day is "mental health and social harmony.'
With China's rapid social development and mounting societal pressures, the nation's rate of diagnosed mental illness is also climbing. According to Wang Guoqiang, deputy director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the number of patients suffering from severe mental disorders has hit 5.1 million. A 2010 survey showed that more than 100 million people have been diagnosed with mental illnesses, or one in 13 Chinese people.
Since mental illnesses are not accompanied by a high death rate, it's easy to neglect such diseases, dismissing the hardship they introduce into people's lives. However, with sufficient time and support, most people suffering from mental illnesses could eventually recover.
Many people believe they are mentally healthy as long as they are physically well. However, psychologists emphasize that the two types of health are not always correlated, and it's essential to pay close attention to both.
