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Raising awareness, promoting social acceptance

CCTV.com

10-11-2016 00:45 BJT

The Shanghai Mental Health Center has arranged a series of activities to help patients blend in with society, as part of efforts to mark World Mental Health Day.

A survey on mental health awareness has shown that 42 percent of Shanghai citizens hold negative attitudes toward people with mental health issues; they are assumed to be “dangerous and harmful.” Half of the survey’s 1,900 respondents think patients are merely “irritated or stressed, but not psychologically ill,” although 82 percent can identify symptoms of mental illness.

The social rejection partially explains why only 15 to 30 percent of the more than 110,000 patients that have suffered mental disorders are able to get jobs after receiving treatment.

“More education and knowledge about mental disorders don’t necessarily guarantee a fairer attitude toward patients. We call for joint efforts from medical staff and the public to assist the patients blend in and regain their ability to earn a living, by providing jobs and vocational training,” said President of Shanghai Mental Health Center Xu Yifeng.

“Today, we have over a dozen of companies who are willing to join our program and open job vacancies for people recovering from mental disorders.”

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