Opinion / Zou Hanru
Go public on mental health
By Zou Hanru (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-05-25 06:48
Young and not-so-young are buckling under the stress of China's
increasingly competitive and fast-paced society.
A recent survey by the municipal departments of health, public security,
civil affairs and labor and social security in Shenzhen, just across from
Hong Kong in South China's Guangdong Province, found that one out of
every five adults in the city suffers from mental problems.
Of those surveyed, totaling more than 7,000 individuals aged 18 and over,
21 percent said they had experienced psychological difficulties at some
time in their lives and 17 percent said they currently have mental
problems.
Mental health problems of all types are steadily increasing. Students are
increasingly becoming victims of stress and anxiety. Many youngsters find
it difficult to communicate with their parents to discuss their problems.
And the pressure mounts as parents' high expectations weigh heavily on
children plagued by thoughts of failure.
It is time we woke up to the need for support services.
In many developed countries, patients undergoing surgery are given both
pre- and post-operative counseling, especially for life-threatening
conditions. Like medical counseling, psychological counseling can help
significantly.
Unfortunately, there are misconceptions about psychological counseling.
Few are aware of the effectiveness of consulting a counselor who is
specially trained to help both patients and their families to cope with
different kinds of mental problems. This is especially important since
recent research in clinical psychology has shown that most mental
illnesses are treatable.
The problem lies primarily with the family members of those suffering
from mental illness. They are reluctant to consult a psychologist and
would rather seek solace from nameless, faceless identities on the
Internet.
In most cases, the family members suffer - and allow patients to suffer -
silently, keeping mental problems a closely guarded secret. This is a
major problem, resulting in many cases remaining unreported.
Those suffering and their families are afraid of the social stigma
attached to mental illness. They think that approaching a psychologist
for help means they have serious mental health problems.
A major cause of the stigma is the myths, misconceptions and negative
feelings about mental illness still prevalent in China.
The stigma has a detrimental effect on a person's ability to find
professional help and acceptance in the community. The mentally ill are
often rejected by friends, relatives, neighbors and employers. This may
increase their feelings of insecurity, loneliness and depression.
They may be excluded from family life, normal social networks, and
employment opportunities. Rejection of people with mental illness also
affects the family of the mentally ill and this leads to isolation and
humiliation.
The community must develop a more sympathetic and open-minded approach to
dealing with mental health. It must provide accurate information on the
prevalence, causes, effects and treatment of mental illness.
Every effort must be made to counter the negative feelings and
misconceptions. Adequate support and treatment services must be provided
to those suffering individuals and their families.
Steps must be taken to create an atmosphere where the mind is without
fear and the head is held high so that the mentally ill can live as
equals among equals.
E-mail: zouhr@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 05/25/2007 page10)
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