Some People May Need it, But Not Me, Not Now: Seeking Professional Help for Mental Health Problems in Urban China
Open accessAbstract
In recent years, various levels of the Chinese government have undertaken the task of developing new models of community-based mental health services. Greater availability and higher quality will not result in substantial improvements if those suffering from mental illnesses do not use the services. This article examines not only people’s cultural perception of mental health and help-seeking but also their practical concerns and preferences about mental health service provision in urban China. The study analyzes qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 50 respondents who belong to the most psychologically distressed subgroup (with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) score ≥ 25) identified in a household survey in Beijing. While stigma about mental illness and help-seeking is real and well described, most interviewees are also not aware of the availability of professional mental health services. They believe that professional services target the upper-middle and upper classes, and are outside the sphere of their daily life and socio-economic status. The interviewees do not welcome the prospect of a mental health clinic or treatment center in their neighborhood due to concerns about stigma and confidentiality; instead, they support the creation of mental health referral services and promotion programs within the community or on the Internet. The findings suggest that the development of community-based mental health services in mainland China should take into account not only the cultural constraints that make people reluctant to seek professional help but also the structural inadequacies that deter potential user groups from accessing such services.
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Nearly 92% of individuals diagnosed with mental disorders in China never sought mental health care.
“Evidence shows that nearly 92% of the individuals diagnosed with mental disorders in China never sought mental health care [8-11].”
From Promoting the mental health of university students in China: Protocol for contextual assessment to inform intervention design and adaptation (2021) · cites this paper as [11]
The Introduction reports that 91.3% of adults in mainland China with a mental disorder had never received professional help, supporting the approximate percentage. It does not say those adults had been diagnosed, and never receiving help is not the same as never seeking it. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredGEP and ACT work in tandem to promote both individual and collective empowerment, and they reduce stigma in Chinese university students in Jinan, China.
“GEP and ACT work in tandem to promote both individual and collective empowerment, and they reduce the stigma in Chinese university students in Jinan, China [11].”
From Promoting the mental health of university students in China: Protocol for contextual assessment to inform intervention design and adaptation (2021) · cites this paper as [11]
The Discussion describes interviews with psychologically distressed respondents in Beijing, and ‘Developing mental health services in mainland China’ recommends efforts to reduce stigma. Neither section reports GEP or ACT, an empowerment outcome, or stigma reduction among university students in Jinan. Searches for the intervention names and the Jinan student population found no matching passage. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe ACE intervention combines concepts and processes from ACT and GEP, and was found to be effective in reducing mental illness stigma and promoting mental health among Asians and other racialized groups in Canada.
“The processes of adaptation and implementation utilize an integrated, evidence-informed mental health intervention model, namely, acceptance and commitment to empowerment (ACE), which combines concepts and processes from ACT and GEP, and were found to be effective in reducing mental illness stigma and promoting mental health among Asians and other racialized groups in Canada [11].”
From Promoting the mental health of university students in China: Protocol for contextual assessment to inform intervention design and adaptation (2021) · cites this paper as [11]
The section on developing mental health services in mainland China discusses stigma and participants’ interest in mental health promotion, but does not describe or evaluate the ACE intervention. Searches of our copy for ACE, ACT, GEP, and intervention outcomes among racialized groups in Canada found no passage addressing the attributed claim. (LLM, conf=0.76)
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References 40 · Cited by 56
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Adams, J., & Hannum, E. (2005). Children's Social Welfare in China 1989-1997. The China Quarterly, 181, 100-122.
- Pearson, V. (1995). Mental Health Care in China: State Polices, Professional Services and Family Responsibilities: London: Gaskell.
- Authors
- Chen, J.
- Affiliations
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK)
- Corresponding author
- Chen, Juan
- ORCID
- Chen, Juan
- Venue
- Transcultural Psychiatry
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2018-08-16
- Volume
- 55
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 754-774
- ISSN
- 1363-4615 (ISSN-L)
- 1461-7471
- OpenAlex
- W2886769629
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 6.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- Transcultural Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PolyU Institutional Research Archive (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- The General Research Fund of the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (PolyU5411/12H)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychiatric care and mental health services
- Keywords
- help-seeking, mental health services, mental health stigma, psychological distress, community mental health services, urban China, Beijing, access to services, confidentiality, socioeconomic status
- MeSH terms
- Beijing, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Mental Disorders, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Mental Health Services, Middle Aged, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Stress, Psychological, Urban Population, Young Adult, Social Stigma
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