Tackle Mental Illness

According to a national epidemiological survey on the prevalence of mental illness among Chinese adults which was released at a seminar in April, the incidence of any form of mental illness for a Chinese adult is 16.57 percent, in which anxiety disorders were the most common with a prevalence rate of 4.98 percent. The prevalence of seven kinds of mental illness, including mood and anxiety disorders, diagnosed between 2013 and 2015 in 31 provincial regions, was more than 1 percent higher than in 1982. The survey has provided data and analysis of mental diseases for policymakers and healthcare professionals to further explore and address mental problems. Healthcare experts argued that the prevalence of psychological problems derives from the rapid changes to Chinese society in areas of family structure, traditional views and lifestyles, and it is urgent to take care of these mental issues which have been largely neglected over the years.