Suicide rates up among Chinese urban men

Suicide rates are rising among China's urban citizens, especially men, according to a senior seminar of domestic mental hospitals' administrative theory and practice held on June 24.

Yan Jun, an officer from China's Ministry of Health, said the domestic rates of suicide among rural areas population and the urban population have changed. Before the 21st century, the rate of suicide among people of rural areas was higher than that of urban people, and the rate of women was higher than that of men. But now, there has been a 30 percent decrease in the suicide rate among rural residents while in the cities the rate keeps increasing and more men than women now commit suicide.

She also said former mental patients are being integrated into China's mental health system for ongoing care. At the same time, China has established a network for Alzheimer's intervention as well as mental health education programs and programs aimed at preventing behavioral problems.

Yan told reporters that China's Ministry of Health is advancing severe mental illness treatment management and trying to increase rates of treatment for common mental diseases. Relative institutions are working to prevent and treat depression to lower suicidal rates and intervene in psychological crises.

By People's Daily Online