Current state of mental healthMental health in China has been an undercovered issue until recently. Efforts such as the Mental Health Code passed in 2013 and the ongoing 686 Rule passed by Asia-Australia Mental Health (AAMH) are underway to construct community-based psychiatric interventions in areas with the highest concentration of patients who cannot afford help. However, gross violations of human rights still remain in psychiatric facilities; those will less access to modernized healthcare suffer even more as local institutions struggle to handle cases on an individual basis.
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Why does China lag behind in mental health services? |
Political opposition from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has traditionally silenced dissenters and practitioners of spiritual remedies such as falun gong. A large proportion of these individuals end up in government-sanctioned mental hospitals, taking up space from patients that actually suffer from mental illnesses. Also a cultural stigma against admitting to emotional vulnerability explains why a large proportion of the 100 million patients never initially seek help. Corruption within the hospital systems deter follow up treatments, and patients are left to fend for themselves without outside help.
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Proposed solutions |
Legislature passed in the 21st century shows that the Chinese government is prioritizing mental health more than before. Since 2004, the China Center for Disease Control (CCDC), Chinese Ministry of Health and Peking University Institute for Medical Health have partnered with AAMH to propose interventions for the country's most destitute cases. The 686 program has multiple treatment models underway.
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