China, mental health

Kleinman, A. M. (1988). A window on mental health in China. Am. Sci., 76(1), 22-7. Lain-Entralgo, P. (1982). El diagnostics medico (Medical diagnosis). Barcelona Salvat. 

Institute of Mental Health, Peking University Beijing, China... 

For centuries, there have been many records in China relating to the health benefits of drinking tea. People have believed that tea can stimulate thought processes and mental alertness increase blood flow clear the urine and facilitate its flow prevent tooth decay increase the body s power of resistance to a wide range of diseases and prolong life expectancy. However, these claims were primarily anecdotal. It is only in the last few decades that the health benefits of tea are beginning to be demonstrated from a scientific perspective. Numerous recent reports on tea and human health have been examined and this chapter gives a brief review of certain aspects of current research. 

The Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Native (North and South) American cultures all have traditional systems of herbal medicine. In China and Japan, the use of herbal remedies is officially promoted by a government ministry and included in national health systems. In India, herbalism is part of the ancient but still widely used system of Ayurvedic medicine. Native Americans use herbs in a spiritual sense, placing emphasis on their purifying and cleansing properties both physically and mentally. 

As the world realized that IDD has become a major public health threat to millions of people, and that a person s mental ability directly affects his or her contribution to society and a nation s development, the Chinese government made a great commitment to the world in 1991 to eliminate IDD in China by 2000. The National Advocacy Meeting to Eliminate IDD by the Year 2000 in China, hosted by the state council in September 1993, was the catalyst for the National IDD Elimination Program. The key national IDD elimination strategies include ... 

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