中国超9千万人患抑郁症

Lin Jiawen, a talented senior high school student, committed suicide on Wednesday. The 18-year-old had published two academic works on history.

Some historians had praised the boy's work, saying it was of better quality than even some Ph.D. candidates produce.

In a wechat message, Lin said he increasingly didn't understand what he's fighting for. According to the message, he had been suffering aching all over his body and constant sleepiness every day.

According to Lin's father, the boy had suffered from depression for more than six months before he jumped to his death.

Wang Gang is deputy director of depression treatment center with Beijing Anding Hospital.

"Suicide is a major symptom of depression. Statistics show that nearly 15 percent of depression patients end up committing suicide. "
Figure from the World Health Organization show that 350 million people around the world suffer from depression. One million people commit suicide every year and more than half of them had been suffering from depression.
A patient under the pseudonym of Ao Xi was diagnosed with depression three years ago and has attempted suicide several times.

She says she fears of telling others of her real condition and constantly thinks about death.

"You don't understand what we are thinking. I will feel better and more relaxed if I die. My colleagues think it's so strange that I am a depression patient. Because I have always appeared to be a cheerful and optimistic person at work. However I feel unhappy when I go back home. I went to the doctor but didn't take the medicine given by the doctors. I feel guilty over my depression, because I think it's all because I have a weak personality. "

According to a report released by the prestigious medical journal The Lancet in 2009, more than 90 million people in China were suffering from depression, and the number is believed to have increased since then.

It's estimated that only 10 percent of people with depression seek help from doctors. And of those who do get professional help, only 20 percent have received systematic treatment.

Experts points out that many people lack awareness about the condition and choose to shy away from the problem.

Statistics show that 90 percent of patients are suffering a strong sense of shame over their negative feelings and refuse to admit their condition.

Due to a lack of knowledge of depression, people tend to associate the disease to a weak personality.

However, clinical psychologists deny the direct relationship between the two.

Lu Yazhou is director of the depression treatment center with Beijing Anding Hospital.

"Depression doesn't mean that the person is weak or narrow-minded. And it also doesn't mean the person is a failure or will lose face for that. "

Experts say ignorance of the disease among the general public is making the situation worse. Many people tend to attribute the symptoms of depression to a bad mood.

Hu Yongdong is the director of the clinical psychology center with Chao Yang Hospital in Beijing.

"There are two criteria to judge the disease. One is the seriousness and another is the course of the disease. If you feel depressed and even still unhappy when something interesting happened and if the symptom sustained over two weeks, you should think about that maybe you have the tendency to depression and come to doctors immediately. "

Experts note that women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men, and the likelihood increases during pregnancy and menopause, or if the woman has had an abortion.

The condition can run in families, and stress can be a trigger or make an existing episode of the disease worse.

Doctors call for the public to strictly distinguish the difference between clinical depression and a depressed mood. And patients with moderate or severe depression need effective medication.

For CRI this is Guo Yan.