CHINA by Shane Cushing

I.  COUNTRY:

China

II.  TOTAL POPULATION:

1,355,692,576

III.   POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS: (men, women, kids, ethnicities) 

0-14 years: 17.1% (male 124,340,516/female 107,287,324)

15-24 years: 14.7% (male 105,763,058/female 93,903,845)

25-54 years: 47.2% (male 327,130,324/female 313,029,536)

55-64 years: 9.6% (male 77,751,100/female 75,737,968)

65 years and over: 9.4% (male 62,646,075/female 68,102,830)

Han Chinese 91.6%, Zhuang 1.3%, other (includes Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai and other nationalities) 7.1%

IV.   ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS: 

Approximately 17.5% of Chinese adults are affected, meaning over 170 million adults have one or more types of mental disorder. Of these, 16 million people are estimated to have serious mental diseases.

V.   RELIGION / CULTURAL BELIEFS / SOCIAL CONTEXT: 

Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, folk religion < .1%, Hindu < .1%, Jewish < .1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.2%

IMPACT OF BELIEFS / SOCIAL CONTEXT ON PERCEPTION OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS: 

As the majority (52%) of the population has no religious affiliation, there can be no connections between atheism and treatment of the mentally ill. However, the next largest subset is buddhism. According to facts gathered by the National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI), development of mental illness is commonly attributed to the imbalance of yin and yang, disturbed flow of chi (energy), divine punishment due to the failure to comply with ancestor worship rituals, karma, etc. Also, it is believed in some sects that mental illness can occur due to character weaknesses.

VI.     METHODS OF SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS: 

Unfortunately, China is way behind in it’s treatment capabilities for the mentally ill. The article, “Mental Health Care In China: Providing Services for Under-Treated Patients,” claims that over 90% of patients with serious mental diseases in China have not been given proper medical treatment. Over 60% of suicide cases in China are associated with mental disorders and suicide is the most significant reason for death between 19 and 34 years old in China, (Qian, Abstract). China also has a lack of qualified doctors and a shortage of physical infrastructures. There are only 1.46 psychiatrists per 100,000 people and 15 beds per 100,000 people. Alternatively, China has a strong indigenous culture complete with it’s own methods of treating mental illness. Indigenous Chinese healing practices include herbal medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, religious faith healing, nutritious diet and health exercises such as tai chi and qi gong, (NAMI).

VII.   PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS

China is a large country with a large population. Of course with a higher population, it is to be expected that rates of mental illness will also be higher. Unfortunately, China is not keeping pace with other countries in the world and adapting to aid the mentally ill. However, in my readings I found a section in an article that claimed between 2011 and 2015, China would increase it’s spending on the prevention and treatment of mental illness. Financial assistance for the mentally ill, however, is still a subject of debate. I think it’s rather unfortunate that China, a leading world innovator in things like technology and education can’t keep up with it’s need for proper mental health care.

VIII. REFERENCES: (APA FORMAT)

Chinese American Mental Health Facts. (2011, October 1). NAMI. Retrieved June 2, 2014, from     https://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Fact_Sheets1&Template=/            ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=129323

The World Factbook: China. (2014, May 1). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved June 2,             2014, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html

Qian, J. (2012, December 1). Mental Health Care in China: Providing Services for Under-            Treated Patients.. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved June 2,             2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23525836