Schizophrenia has plagued 7.8 million Chinese so far, making it the most serious psychiatric problem, the MOH announced on the annual World Mental Health Day on Thursday.

Behavioral problems in children, alcohol and drug abuse, suicide attempts, mental retardation among the elderly, and psychological problems among middle school and college students have also emerged as health problems in recent years.

Psychological experts attributed the increase to the country's rapid economic and social development, more psychological pressure placed on people because of acute competition and the ever-increasing elderly population.

Mental illness had been ranked the most serious health problem in terms of the burden it placed on society, said Yan Jun, of the MOH Department of Disease Control.

However, discrimination against psychiatric patients remained strong largely due to a lack of understanding, which deterred prevention and treatment, said psychiatric expert Yu Xin.

It is estimated that less than 30 percent of urban people and about 10 percent of rural residents in China have elementary knowledge of mental health.

The MOH designated the theme of this year's Mental Health Day was "Mental health: starting with understanding," with the aim of helping the public learn about the subject and how to handle it, Yan Jun said.

An exhibition to explain mental health knowledge was opened to the public in Beijing Thursday, together with a show of paintings, Chinese calligraphy, and handicrafts which were made by psychiatric patients.

Organizers expected the events to help raise public awareness of disease prevention and improve understanding of the patients.

Leading health officials and psychiatric specialists have worked out a ten-year plan for the development of mental health services, naming depression, schizophrenia and dementia among the elderly as major mental problems to be tackled.

The plan also underlined children, the elderly, women and people who have experienced serious trauma as the primary groups in need of mental health services.

(Xinhua News Agency October 10, 2002)