20 World Health • 48th Year, No. 5, September-october 1995 in Yanfang Chen

the mentally handicapped. sponsor activities in this area. The More than 95% of the Today there is increasing empha­ China Disabled Persons' Federation sis on both hospital-based and com­ consequently set up the Rehabili­ mentally ill in China are cared munity-based rehabilitation for the tation Research Association for the for at home by their families. mentally ill, and more training of Mentally Disabled, and a number of general practitioners in basic psychi­ other societies have been formed Employers and community atric diagnosis and treatment. The under the auspices of the Chinese model for psychiatric community Medical Association. These soci­ organizations also share care in urban areas is largely based eties have provided professional responsibility for the disabled. on work stations, neighbourhood consultative help to the concerned care networks, home care and factory ministries and have played a signifi­ liaison work. In rural areas, the cant role in the evolution of rehabili­ model is based on training non­ tation policy. All this has helped to ince 1978, economic reforms psychiatric medical workers to pro­ create favourable conditions for the and increased contact with the vide mental health services at the continued development of mental SWest have brought about funda­ local level. Programmes involving rehabilitation in the country. mental social, economic and cultural psychological counselling, psycho­ There have been international changes in China. Partly as a result therapy and behaviour modification influences too. The United Nations of these changes, related to have been set up in many general designated 1983-92 as the UN psychosocial factors and mental hospitals, universities and schools. Decade of Disabled Persons, estab­ disorders have become a major Under a Work Programme for lished a programme of international health and social concern. The Disabled Persons, the government activities to promote the cause of numbers of persons with serious provides income tax relief to enter­ disabled persons, and appealed to all mental disorders have risen dramati­ prises that employ more than 35 % of countries to participate actively. As cally, from 5.4 cases per 1000 popu­ workers who are disabled. part of that initiative, the government lation in the 1970s to 11.1 cases per set up the Chinese Organizing 1000 in the 1980s. Today there are at Committee for the UN Decade. least 11 million Chinese adults with Mental rehabilitation Over the past I 5 years, WHO has serious mental disorders. worked closely with China in the State-run inpatient services for The rapid development of psychiatric reorganization of the mental health the mentally ill have about 140 000 rehabilitation services has made it services, providing consultancy psychiatric beds in 800 psychiatric essential for academic groups to services and conducting workshops. institutions, or 1.17 beds Today there are five WHO per 10 000 population. Collaborating Centres in This means that more than China concerned with 95 % of the mentally ill are neurophychiatric and unable to be admitted to behavioural disorders. hospital, so most of them This active collaboration are taken care of by their has given a major boost to families. The revised mental health services, Constitution of 1982 and manpower training and the Law on the Protection research. • of Disabled Persons (1992) emphasized that families, work units and community organizations must share responsibility for caring for Professor Yanfang Chen is Chairman of the Department of the disabled. The Psychiatry, Shandong Medical Education Law of 1986 University, and Chief , made it obligatory to pro­ Shandong Province Centre of Barefoot doctors: all health workers should receive training in basic Mental Health, Wen Hua Dong vide special education for psychiatry Road, )inan 2500 14, China.