Chang says that in more than half the cases, mental illness or drug or alcohol addiction are a factor, and most of the afflicted have no sense that they have a problem. With no way to force them to seek medical assistance or to quit using, social workers feel powerless.
張開華指出，精神病患、藥酒癮者的比例佔二分之一強，他們多半缺乏病識感，無法強制就醫或戒斷，社工員常感有心無力。