One in five Chinese mentally ill
Almost one in five mainlanders may be suffering some form of mental disorder, with most receiving no treatment, say World Health Organisation researchers, based on a study of almost 80,000 people in four provinces (rural and coastal) from 2001 to 2005. This new figure of 17.5 per cent of the population is much higher than earlier estimates, which range from 1.1 to 9.1 per cent. The most common problems are mood, anxiety and substance-abuse disorders, Reuters reports. Of those with a diagnosable mental illness, 24 per cent were moderately or severely disabled as a result, yet only 8 per cent had sought professional help.
Mental illness figures under-reported
Meanwhile, mental-health experts in India warn of under-reporting and a lack of resources, due largely to the stigma associated with such disorders. Nimesh Desai, head of psychiatry at New Delhi's Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, estimates there are fewer than 4,000 psychiatrists and even fewer general mental-health professionals, which 'meets about 5 per cent to 7 per cent of the projected need'. Experts estimate that up to 20 million Indians suffer mental disorders - almost 19 per cent of the population, AFP reports.
Link between cancer, evolution found
Higher rates of cancer may be one of the costs of human evolution, say US researchers, based on their studies showing that the genes of chimpanzees are much better at apoptosis, or programmed cell death, which is one of the key ways the body kills off cancer cells. Team leader John McDonald, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, says the difference 'may have evolved as a way to increase brain size and associated cognitive ability [at the cost of] an increased propensity for cancer'. Previous studies have shown that chimps have lower rates of cancer than humans, healthday.com reports.