China sets up the Specialised Committee of Mental Health Rehabilitation

Abstract

On Nov 1, 2019, the Specialised Committee of Mental Health Rehabilitation, an institution affiliated to the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine, was established. Comprising mainly psychiatrists, it is the first national institution aimed at promoting the development of psychiatric rehabilitation in China. However, psychiatric rehabilitation is still in its infancy in China, and a lot of work needs to be done to empower people with mental health problems to live a full life. A nation-wide epidemiological study found that the weighted lifelong prevalence of any psychiatric disorders (excluding dementia) in China was 16·6%.1Huang Y Wang Y Wang H et al.Prevalence of mental disorders in China: a cross-sectional epidemiological study.Lancet Psychiatry. 2019; 6: 211-224Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (914) Google Scholar Insufficient mental-health resources (eg, 1·53 psychiatrists per 100 000 people) make psychiatric rehabilitation inaccessible for many patients.2Smith K Mental health: a world of depression.Nature. 2014; 515: 180-181Crossref Scopus (548) Google Scholar How to best match scarce sources to the unmet needs of psychiatric rehabilitation is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. Nanjing Medical University has tried to address this issue by establishing a mental rehabilitation course to cultivate therapists, and enrolls 60 students into the course every year. In the first 3 years, the undergraduate students learn about rehabilitation medicine and participate in clinical practice. In the latter 2 years, they are trained to be professional rehabilitation therapists for mental health. Another issue is that although some regions have explored different patterns of psychiatric rehabilitation, no well-accepted rehabilitation model exists in mainland China. The clubhouse model (established in Changsha, characterised by community-based, peer-driven, and recovery-oriented mental care), is supported by the Chinese government, but whether it can be widely applied to other regions remains unknown.3Tan YX Yan H Luo YH et al.Mental rehabilitation in China: the clubhouse model.Lancet Psychiatry. 2018; 5: 386-387Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar Because of the imbalance of interregional economic development and different cultural backgrounds, the transition from specialised hospital-based to individual, family, or community-based mental health care is not easy. Patients can feel lost after discharge from hospital, because of residual symptoms, medication-derived side-effects, or social handicaps that hinder their return to normal life. Novel models, such as the e-mental health-care model, might more efficiently deliver psychiatric rehabilitation services to more consumers.4Firth J Torous J Stubbs B et al.The “online brain”: how the internet may be changing our cognition.World Psychiatry. 2019; 18: 119-129Crossref PubMed Scopus (137) Google Scholar Policy makers should provide more support to guide and promote the nationwide implementation of psychiatric rehabilitation. In July, 2019, the State Council announced its Advices on Implementing the Healthy China Initiative, which emphasises the importance of facilitating psychiatric rehabilitation services that are community based.5The State Council of the People's Republic of ChinaAdvices on implementing the healthy China initiative.http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2019-07/15/content_5409492.htmDate: 2019Date accessed: November 4, 2019Google Scholar Adequate funding support from the government is also necessary. Promoting psychiatric rehabilitation in China is a great project beneficial to the nation and its people. The Specialised Committee of Mental Health Rehabilitation has the important responsibility of mobilising financial, educational, and public health resources from all sectors of society, which could ultimately enable people to recover and reclaim their lives. We declare no competing interests. Prevalence of mental disorders in China: a cross-sectional epidemiological studyThe prevalence of most mental disorders in China in 2013 is higher than in 1982 (point prevalence 1·1% and lifetime prevalence 1·3%), 1993 (point prevalence 1·1% and lifetime prevalence 1·4%), and 2002 (12-month prevalence 7·0% and lifetime prevalence 13·2%), but lower than in 2009 (1-month prevalence 17·5%). The evidence from this survey poses serious challenges related to the high burdens of disease identified, but also offers valuable opportunities for policy makers and health-care professionals to explore and address the factors that affect mental health in China. Full-Text PDF