Taipei, March 30 (CNA) A health official pointed out Wednesday, in sharp rebuttal to the police, that a formal diagnosis is required before the mental status of the suspect who beheaded a girl in Taipei Monday can be determined.
Shen Lih-jong (諶立中), head of the Department of Mental and Oral Health under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said behavior such as talking to oneself after drug use or when one is in a depressed mood, only show signs of mental health issues, which is very different from a formal diagnosis of mental illness.
He noted that there are many types of mental illness, each with a different definition, and whether a person has mental illness can only be determined through a formal diagnosis by psychiatrists.
Under current regulations, matters concerning mandatory hospitalization due to mental illness are a complicated process, Shen said.
Someone allegedly suffering from mental illness needs to be assessed by two specialist physicians before a mandatory assessment and community treatment review committee speaks with the patient to assess his or her condition, he went on.
After the review, the patients and their family members have to agree in writing that the patient can be hospitalized, he added.
Despite this, Shen said he respects the opinions of the Taipei City Police Department.
During a search of the suspect's home Monday, the police said they found 29 notebooks that they claim show signs of the suspect's mental illness.
The suspect, 33-year-old Wang Ching-yu (王景玉), was sent to hospital for treatment twice between October 2010 and October 2014 after physical conflicts with his family, the Taipei City Police Department said in a statement Tuesday.
(By Chang Ming-hsuan and Christie Chen)
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