Mental illnesses continue to rise

An ounce of prevention, as they say, could be worth a pound of cure for the growing problem of mental illness across a country that lacks national legislation to deal with it.

A long-delayed draft law expected to be passed this year marks a significant shift from the treatment of mental illness to its prevention, said Sichuan University's Liu Xiehe.

At least 56 million patients with mental ailments across the country have not received any treatment and only one in four patients with serious mental disorders are hospitalized.