Screenshot from a video shows a young man tries to stop a mentally ill man from beating a child on May 4, 2015. (Photo/Screenshot)
(ECNS) -- China now has over 16 million people who suffer severe mental illness, among whom less than 120,000 stay in a hospital.
The country's public philanthropic commitment to help patients with serious mental disorders is far from enough, Chinese Business Daily reported.
Treatment for the mentally ill is economically challenging for most families. Most patients remain out of hospital only to be confined by their own families due to the lack of a better choice.
Without proper treatment and care, the mentally ill are not only a burden for their own families, but also a threat to society.
Li Bin, a mental health patient from Xi'an city, Shaanxi province, once threatened to kill his cousin, forcing his family to kill him in 2010. In a 2013 case, a patient surnamed Zhang killed his own parents, in their 60s, while they were sleeping. In another case, Chen Li did not find it necessary to report to the police the murder of her own husband until almost two days after the event.
As long as they are not criminally charged, people with mental disorders should be taken care of by their family or guardians, according to Chinese law. The government could apply compulsory treatment if necessary.
Over 70 percent of those families believe it is shameful to be known to be hosting a mentally ill person, according to a survey.
Psychiatrist Zhang Juan has called for more tolerance towards patients with serious mental problems.
