Various activities were held across China yesterday for World Mental Health Day to raise public awareness for better understanding of mental diseases which are troubling more and more people in the world's most populous country.

There is still much prejudice and misunderstanding when it comes to such diseases, said a top health official.

One aim of the campaign is to teach others that anyone can have a mental disease or psychological problems, said Wu Jieping, vice-chairman of the Standing Commission of the National People's Congress.

People shouldn't discriminate against people with mental health problems which can be prevented and cured, he added.

Wu made these remarks at China's first exhibition of artwork by mental disease patients, sponsored by the Ministry of Health's disease control department.

A total of 750 artworks, such as handwriting and clippings, by patients from 22 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China are on display at the Museum of Chinese History in Beijing.

As one result of China's fast economic and societal development, various social problems, such as increasing working pressure and social conflict, have caused an increase in the number of people with psychological and mental problems, experts said.

The latest statistics show that China has 16 million mental diseases patients, including more than 7.8 million that suffer from dementia praeacox.

The social and economic burdens caused by mental illness have become the number one burden among all current diseases, said Ma Xiaowei, vice-minister of the Ministry of Health.

More attention should also be given to children's behavioral health problems as well, such as infantile autism, psychological problems of students in middle school and university, occupational health problems, mental problems among the elderly, drug abuse and people who have attempted suicide.

"Mental diseases patients need to be accepted. This acceptance can help them become more socially stable," said Qin Yi, a mother of a son who suffers from mental illness, at the exhibition.

(China Daily October 11, 2002)