Zhang, a retired worker in Tianjin, was not able to rid himself of stress and anxiety after his wife passed away two years ago.

When he was home alone during the day with his only son and daughter-in-law away at work, Zhang would be restless, sweating and short of breath. In the extreme cases, he thought he was dying.

Doctors said Zhang was suffering from a slight mental disorder, after a thorough examination confirmed he was physically healthy.

Zhang's problem is not rare among elderly people in China, experts say.

Senior citizens made up 20 per cent of the patients seeking medical intervention for varied mental problems during the past five years, according to statistics provided by the Tianjin No. 1 Hospital.

"Aging happens not just to the human body, but to the brain and mind as well," said Liu Ru, head of the hospital's psychiatric department. "These changes may cause dysfunction of the human brain, and that's why many elderly people suddenly become extremely sensitive, obstinate and complaining + some even lose faith in life and try to kill themselves."

These symptoms were sometimes accompanied by fatigue, headaches, indigestion and heart palpitation, she said.

Mental diseases, depression and dementia in particular, are impairing the health and life quality of many senior citizens, experts say.

Alzheimer's, for instance, has become the fourth most common killer of China's elderly, after cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and cancer, according to Sheng Shuli, a medical specialist with the China Senile Dementia Scientists Association.

China, with a total population of about 1.3 billion, has five million people over the age of 60 who suffer senile dementia, and the figure is increasing by 300,000 annually, said Sheng.

"To make the problem worse, these patients are not getting the care and respect they deserve," said Liu Ru, the psychiatrist in Tianjin.

Senior citizens in Chinese cities seldom had any financial worries, with the assistance of their children and their own pension, said Prof. Hao Maishou of the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences.

"But most of them are troubled by a lack of information, communication and security," he said, "For example, the elderly are not getting enough care from their family when they get sick."

Besides, many senior citizens felt sad, lonely and isolated once their children grew up and left home, said Prof. Hao.

"Children should spend more time with their aging parents, help them relieve pressure and detect potential mental problems as soon as possible," he said.

Meanwhile, the community should also help senior citizens lead a colorful retired life, he said, as group singing, dancing, gym, chess and other entertainment activities would keep them occupied and relaxed, and communication with their peers would help them vent stress and sorrow.

Psychological counseling services, which have become widely available at Chinese hospitals, are also crucial in helping the elderly rid their problems when they do not feel like pouring out their innermost feelings to their friends or family.

China is moving towards a graying society. It has presently 132 million elderly, and the figure will keep growing at an annual rate of 3.2 per cent in the next 50 years. In Tianjin alone, senior citizens over 60 years of age had taken up 14.27 percent of its 10 million population by the end of 2002.

Experts say the happiness of the elderly is closely related to the stability of the whole society, and the Chinese government has set up a social security network and 50,000 welfare institutions nationwide to provide medical care, exercise and cultural activities for the elderly and to ensure their well-being.

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