Abstract

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Issue 9: Behavioral healthcare: no longer on the backburner

Mental health is a field which has traditionally attracted less attention than physiological health in China, and features less prominently in social discourse. When people are physically sick, they will actively seek medical diagnosis and treatment. However, there is often more reluctance to pursue psychological consultation or treatment when mental health issues are concerned. Important reasons behind such phenomena include both an inadequate recognition of mental health as well as a social stigma related to mental health, which frequently is felt in the form of a sense of shame by patients. The latter aspect is influenced by a pervasive influence of traditional culture, which inhibits many people from seeking out relevant psychological consultation and treatment. ​