People in the southern city of Guangzhou appear to be suffering
mental problems at ever younger ages as they struggle to adapt to
life outside the home and school, a source with the local health
authority said.
There are currently 43,803 registered cases of mental illness in
the city. Up to 40 percent of them are between 16 and 25 years old,
according to the Guangzhou health bureau.
"A decade ago, most people with mental illnesses were between 18
and 30 years old. But now they are five years younger," Zhao
Zhenghuan, director of the Guangzhou Brain Hospital, said.
Zhao attributed the situation to young people's "relatively poor
social adaptability."
"Children from single-child families receive a lot of care at
home and school, but when they leave home and school, they find it
hard to adapt to life. They easily develop mental problems such as
anxiety and depression," Zhao said.
Pan Jiyang, a psychologist with the first Affiliated Hospital of
Jinan University in Guangzhou, yesterday called for "early
treatment and mental education" for teenagers who are mentally
ill.
Not seeking help
Pan said some 80 percent of people who suffer from mental
illness do not seek help after their conditions are diagnosed.
"Delayed treatment at the early stage will lead to more serious
conditions. Most parents just cannot believe their kids have
developed mental problems," Pan said, adding that young mental
patients could attempt suicide or commit crimes if they are not
treated well.
In one case, a 21-year-old student believed to be suffering from
a mental illness stabbed six of his classmates at an IT college in
Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, last month.
To better cope with the situation, the Guangzhou Teenager
Service Center, a psychological treatment center affiliated to the
Guangzhou Communist Youth League, has employed eight psychological
experts.
The experts will work with people suffering from mental illness
through a hotline (12355).
Meanwhile, nearly 100 psychologists will soon be deployed in
communities, schools and work units to promote mental health among
young people.
(China Daily October 12, 2007)