Tuesday marks World Mental Health Day, and the dominating theme is giving more attention to old-aged people suffering from mental diseases.
Statistics show that people above the age of 60 accounts for more than 10% of the total population. And mental illness, mainly Alzheimer’s Disease and Depression, are posing a great threat to this group.
Meanwhile, the lack of treatment for mental disorders in China has also drawn wide attention. According to health authorities, more than 16 million people are suffering from serious mental illnesses, and half of them do not have access to efficient medical treatment.
This is partly blamed on the lack of psychiatrists and high medical fees. Since August, the social insurance began to cover serious mental diseases, and the government would pay for 90% of the medical fees.