SOME members of the CPPCC Shenzhen Municipal Committee submitted a bill at its just-concluded session, urging the government to tackle the mental disorders prevalent among Shenzhen residents, as the phenomenon has become a serious issue of concern in the city.

The advisors said that Shenzhen has a high rate of serious mental disorders but a low percentage of sufferers seeking medical help, a discrepancy that must be addressed promptly.

According to a sample survey of more than 7,000 residents aged 18 and above conducted in 2005 by the city’s bureaus of public health, public security, civil affairs and labor and social security, 21.19 percent of Shenzhen residents suffer from various kinds of mental disorders, a rate much higher than the national average of 15 percent.

The prevalence of mental disorders, the advisors analyzed, is not only due to the faster pace of life, greater work pressure and fiercer competition, but also because a large chunk of the city’s population consists of young migrants from across the country.

Since they are far away from home, they don’t get enough support from society and have fewer channels to seek relief from.

What is worrying is that of the 659 patients with emotional disorders and serious psychiatric diseases found in the survey, only 18 went to see a psychiatrist, 23 went to see doctors in other departments, and 36 sought help from psychologists. The rate of patients seeking medical help is 11.7 percent, which is much lower than the average in the nation and developed Western countries.

Shenzhen currently has only one psychiatric hospital, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, which has only 200 beds. The total number of psychiatrists in the whole city is less than 100 and there are fewer than 200 nurses. Hong Kong, a city separated by a river from Shenzhen, has two psychiatric hospitals for a population of less than 7 million. The number of psychiatrists and nurses totals 3,146, and the number of beds amounts to 4,550. Besides, it also boasts 11,368 psychologists and social workers working in the field of mental health.

Though Shenzhen had set up a mental diseases prevention center two years ago, it is severely understaffed and its service is limited to answering hotlines.

To improve the situation, the advisors suggested that the city pay more attention to mental health. Chen Siping, vice chairman of the CPPCC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, suggested that the city set up one counseling center in each of its 600 communities.

Some other advisors also suggested the establishment of a Shenzhen Psychiatric Health Center to prevent more people from suffering from mental disorders and committing suicide as well as the promulgation and implementation of Regulations on Mental Health of Shenzhen.(Michelle Wang)