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Over 26 mln Chinese suffer from depression
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-10-10 18:11 The number of depression
patients in China recently exceeded 26 million, about 60 percent of whom never
go to the hospital, according to China Mental Health Association.
Activities aiming to increase public awareness of depression and its
treatment were launched in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou on Monday.
Cai Zhuoji, director of China Mental Health Association, said that among
depression sufferers in China, less than 10 percent get proper medical
treatment.
The diagnosis and medical treatment rates of depression in local hospitals
are also very low, acknowledged Cai.
The association will organize experts to educate hospital doctors around the
country about depression.
Ten to 15 percent of depression sufferers commit suicide, and anywhere from
50 to 70 percent of the suicides or attempted suicides in China have been
attributed to the cause of mental depression.
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