OBJECTIVETo describe the prevalence and characteristics of mental disabilities in China.

METHODSThe data from the Second National Sample Survey on Disability were analyzed with descriptive epidemiological method and the overall prevalence rates of mental disabilities were statistically calculated.

RESULTSAmong 2 526 145 respondents, 15 155 of them more than 15 years old were diagnosed as mental disabilities, with the prevalence rate as 6.01‰. The prevalence rate of disabilities caused only by mental disorders was 4.57‰ with 11 501 more than 15 years old. The prevalence rate of disability caused only by mental disorders was 4.67‰ with 11 501 adults. Of the disability cases that exclusively caused by mental disorders, 64.58% of them were attributable to schizophrenia, schizotypal or delusional disorders, 6.28% were mood disorder, and 6.27% were epilepsy disability, followed by neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (5.95%), dementia (5.19%), and other disabilities (less than 11.74%). Disabilities that attributable to schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders caused most severe impairments of functions in daily and social activities, followed by disabilities attributable to dementia, non-dementia organic mental disorder and epilepsy disability. Dementia caused the most severe grade of disability, accounted for 44.89% of all the cases. The data also showed that the disabilities attributable to mood disorder and neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorder showed more impairments among mental disabilities.

CONCLUSIONPrevalence of mental disability in the second sample survey was higher than that of the first survey. Schizophrenia accounted for most of the mental disabilities but dementia caused the severest disability among all the cases with mental problems. As two of main causes of mental disabilities, neurosis and anxiety disorders should also be paid attention to.