In the minds of many people, “mental patients” seem to belong to the fringe of society and are rarely encountered in daily life. However, the reality is quite the opposite – mental patients are very common in society, it’s just that many individuals do not exhibit obvious signs, making them easily overlooked. Apart from long-term mental illnesses, there are also short-term mental disorders that are quite similar to psychological disorders. Let’s take a look at how many “mental patients” there are in China!
Research reveals: 1 in 7 people suffer from “mental illness”! Check for these 5 characteristics on yourself
According to a research report published by a professor in the field of medicine in the Lancet Psychiatry journal, since 2012, China has initiated the “Chinese Mental Health Survey.” The weighted lifetime prevalence of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders, alcohol and drug use disorders, and impulse control disorders – total 6 types of mental disorders – is 16.6%. In other words, out of China’s population of 1.4 billion, approximately 230 million people are expected to suffer from one or more of these 6 types of mental illnesses during their lifetime, meaning 1 in 7 people will develop a mental illness.
“Mental illness” generally exhibits 5 key characteristics to look out for. Check yourself against them.
First and foremost, it’s important to understand the distinction between mental illness and neurological disorders. Mental illness, like hypertension or gastritis, is common. The primary causes often involve neurotransmitter dysfunction in the brain, with a small part stemming from psychological stress. On the other hand, neurological disorders refer to changes in the functions of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system.
In general, mental illnesses are reversible and treatable, while neurological disorders are mostly irreversible and challenging to treat.
Characteristic 1: Psychological Disorders
Depression, mania, emotional disorders fall under the category of psychological disorders. They manifest as long-term feelings of sadness, low self-esteem, and in severe cases, pessimism, despair, and thoughts of suicide. If these symptoms persist for more than two weeks, they can be diagnosed as depression and should receive timely professional psychological intervention.
Characteristic 2: Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
Typically, individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder also exhibit traits of easily getting anxious. In fact, obsessive-compulsive disorder is classified as an anxiety-related mental illness, characterized by anxiety, unease, tension, and even symptoms like dizziness, palpitations, and breathing difficulties. Prolonged presence of these symptoms may indicate a disorder that requires appropriate treatment.
Characteristic 3: Impulse Control Disorders
Some individuals, in order to attain psychological satisfaction and relieve inner tension, find it hard to control their actions and end up committing unlawful activities. Studies show that this group is mostly male, with an occurrence rate of around 1.7%, which decreases with age. Maladaptive behaviors like kleptomania, pyromania are driven not by financial gains but purely to fulfill their psychological needs.
Characteristic 4: Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is characterized by thought disorders, hallucinations, excessive delusions, emotional disturbances, and split personalities. It is more prevalent in the younger population and decreases with age. The prevalence rate in rural areas is significantly higher than in urban areas. This illness needs no further elaboration as it’s commonly understood.
Characteristic 5: Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are more common among females, manifesting as either excessive anorexia or binge eating. Anorexia involves self-starvation – for instance, a girl begins dieting due to her perceived obesity, eventually developing an eating disorder and, ultimately, receiving a life-threatening notice from the hospital due to malnutrition. Binge eating is characterized by an uncontrollable appetite but an unwillingness to digest food, leading to compensatory actions like induced vomiting.
These 5 characteristics represent common features of mental illnesses. Do you exhibit any of them? If so, it’s advisable to seek professional diagnosis promptly. Remember, do not stress yourself. Mental illnesses differ from neurological disorders; mental illnesses are primarily psychological disorders and are relatively easy to recover from with early and proper treatment.
