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Mental patients on watch list after attacks at schools

By Yang Wanli (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-21 07:52

Zhang Jingfang (center) keeps an eye out for unusual behavior at her community. [Zou Hong / China Daily]

Some Beijing communities are starting to keep a closer watch on psychiatric patients, following reports that a mentally ill person was responsible for one of the five attacks on children in schools and kindergartens in recent months.

A man named Yang, who killed one student and an elderly man at a primary school in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on April 12, was diagnosed with a mental illness in 2008.

This prompted Ma Ziming, from Dongzhimen's sub-district, to say that in addition to improving security in schools, communities should keep watch on psychiatric patients.

"It's not an easy job," Ma said. "Any approach that's not politically correct to this delicate issue may give rise to bigger problems."

In the Yuetan sub-district, where the city's first rehabilitation therapy center for psychiatric patients has been built, an official surnamed Liu told METRO that monitoring work had been carried out for more than two years.

"We will also keep an eye on those who have just been released from prison," Liu said. "We always visit them on holidays with gifts, especially during Spring Festival and let them feel warmth from society."

A survey in the Dongzhimen sub-district shows that one in 1,000 residents has a mental illness, which makes monitoring difficult, Ma said.

There are more than 40,000 residents in Dongzhimen, including 2,000 foreigners. About 150 volunteers and 70 security guards have been assigned to its 15 schools and kindergartens.

"It's hard to determine the total number of people who might need psychiatric help," he said.

"The work depends mainly on residential committees. Officials in the committees are more familiar with the conditions of residents."

Patients with severe problems would be urged to seek hospital treatment, with low-income families able to get government subsidies. For those whose symptoms are not too severe, activities such as singing and cooking are held as part of their rehabilitation training.

"We need to respect their rights to play or to do activities outside. Residential clinics also help them to do rehabilitation therapies. This will in turn contribute to the safety of others," Ma said.

Nan Zhenguo, a psychiatrist from Huilongguan Hospital, said residents should be given basic knowledge about mental health.

"This will not only help people treat psychiatric patients better, but guide families as to when to send patients to hospital. All these will decrease the risk of possible problems," he said.

He said Beijing has about 10,000 patients with severe mental illnesses. As one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in Beijing, Huilongguan set up a pilot project in October 2008 to build the rehabilitation therapy center in Yuetan.

However, some parents are still not satisfied.

"Some families who have psychiatric patients may not want this to be known," a Xicheng resident surnamed Zhu said. "Maybe some of them did not send their family members to hospitals due to the high cost. All of them are possible threats."

Zhu, whose three-year-old son will enter kindergarten at the end of this year, said it is so horrible that so many children around the country have been killed or injured.

While mental patients are receiving the added attention, residents are showing a positive attitude toward safety of children.

"To receive education in kindergarten and primary school is essential," said a retired teacher surnamed Wu in Yuetan.

"You can't keep your children at home to prevent any possible problems. But I suggest parents collect their children from school."

He said the building of a rehabilitation therapy center in Yuetan didn't worry residents.

"On the contrary, it reassured parents as we know that doctors can give them additional care."

Fengtai health bureau said on May 17 that 31 psychological consultants would provide free consulting services in Fengtai district.