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)