China Medical News

China celebrated its first national Seniors' Day on Sunday. The Chinese government has made the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the Double-Ninth Festival, a day to honor senior citizens since 1989, but this year's Seniors' Day is the first time the holiday has been observed since it was written into the revised law on protection of the rights and interests of the elderly.
China's population above age 60 reached 194 million at the end of last year, and China is the only country in the world with a senior population of more than 100 million.
According to a psychologist of Shenyang Mental Health Center, about 5% of the senior population has depression, about 5% seniors suffer from anxiety and about 44% of the elderly have insomnia. This psychologist added that the psychological disease was caused superficially by illness and pain but more deeply it was caused by lack of care from family and society.
In an announcement made by the State Council last month, the number of this age group is expected to reach 243 million by year 2020. (Source: Xinhua)