"Depression, a global crisis" was the theme for this year's World Mental Health Day on Wednesday. This should have been a reminder that more attention and care are needed for the increasing number of mentally challenged people across the country, senior residents in particular.

Concern for the mental health of elderly residents is no small matter. While there are no official statistics about the percentage of elderly residents suffering from depression or other mental health problems, a survey in Beijing found that 4.4 percent of residents aged 65 or over who responded were suffering from depression.

At a news conference on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said that more than 119 million people in the country are aged 65 or above. By the end of 2013, the number of elderly aged 60 or above is expected to be 200 million, accounting for 16 percent of the population.