Mental Health Service in the People's Republic of China : Current Status & Future Developments

Being the world's most populated country, the People's Republic of China shoulders the largest number of persons with mental illness in the world. According to related documents, there are around 16 millions of persons with mental illness that necessitate prolonged treatment and rehabilitation, 30 million children and adolescents with behavioural and emotional problems, 6 millions with persons with epilepsy and numerous elderly persons with mental problems. Facing these insurmountable needs of mental health services, despite the drastic economic development in these decades, there are various challenges for policy makers and caring professionals in providing adequate and qualitative services for persons with mental problems in China. To name a few, these challenges include insufficient mental health facilities; a great diversity in social, cultural and political contexts among different regions in China; poor mental health literacy, and highly inadequate financial support to mental health services. All these challenges occurs both in fast growing urban cities where mental problems increase drastically within a highly competitive and stressful city life as well as in deprived rural areas where mental illnesses are neglected and ignored because of unsolvable poverty problems. This book tackles these problems head on.