One in eight residents of Shanghai is experiencing some sort of mental or behavioral problem, a recent survey has found.

The city's public health administration released the findings of its first large mental health survey, on Saturday.

It questioned 20,000 people on various mental and behavioral problems and found that 19 percent of respondents suffer from at least one of 27 mental problems and one in eight is mentally disturbed.

It also found that 8.4 percent should be clinically considered as mentally ill, while 0.5 percent are seriously ill. People aged between 40 and 54 are most likely to suffer from a chronic mental disorder, with men succumbing more than women, according to the survey.

About 10 percent of males have a chronic problem and nearly 6 percent are afflicted by a disorder.

Women are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, it found.

Psychologists say more emphasis should be placed on maintaining mental health and urge those with a problem to seek professional help as soon as possible. Many people are unaware of having a problem or unwilling to seek assistance. Only 6.9 percent admit to having sought medical treatment, according to the survey.