Wang is not exceptional in today's China, where many Chinese have to face increasing mental pressure deriving from sharp social competition.

A survey on the rate of depression among the public was formally kicked off Tuesday in Beijing and will continue for one and half months, during which some 10,160 local households will be picked at random by computer and one person above the age of 15 will be surveyed in each household.

According to Guo Hongli, a doctor of psychological health, this is the first time for Beijing to conduct a survey especially on depression among the public.

Interviewers are expected to ask the questions in person and the 70-page-long questionnaire will be classified into ten parts touching upon areas like tobacco, dread and alcohol.

An entire interview is expected to last for one hour with typical questions including: "Do your hands turn cold and damp often?"; "Have you ever thought of committing suicide?"; and "Do you have difficulty taking your attention off your worries?".

A previous survey on mental diseases conducted in Beijing in 1991 showed that more than 100,000 people above the age of 15 were suffering from severe psychonosema, excluding patients with mental retardation, drug dependence, alcohol dependence, and neurosis.

Traditionally, Chinese consider mental disease to be a shame.

"I'm worried about seeing a doctor for fear that my colleagues would find out one day," said Wang. "In that case, I would no longer be able to hold up my head in front of them."

However, people like Wang don't have to worry about their privacy this time. According to Guo, the information about each interviewee will be well protected and an interview can only take place upon the approval of the interviewee and with a formal agreement.

The total of 110 interviewers taking part in the survey are all medical staff dealing with mental health with at least three years of working experience and under the age of 55.

The survey is in response to increasing public concern about the issue of social psychology after a series of incidents in this regard.

Last year, a student from the elite Tsinghua University deliberately poured vitriol on bears in a zoo, and recently a mentally disturbed man intruded into the Beijing office of Reuters news agency.

According to Wang Jianping, an associate professor of psychological health of Beijing Normal University, the worst result of depression is suicide. China set up its first suicide prevention center late last year.

Wang pointed out that Chinese are traditionally sensitive about topics like suicide and mental diseases despite the fact that a large number of people suffer from mental pressures and burdens from the time they enter primary school.

(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2003)