China, home to the largest ethnic group of the world, makes up 22% of the worlds population. Of its 1.3 billion people, 85 million of them have disabilities (WHO, 2017). A disability that is not as well recognized in China is depression. A reported 54 million people in China are depressed, 23.5% of them being university students (WHO, 2017). People who live in rural areas and/or are of low socioeconomic status are more likely to become depressed compared to those who live in urban areas (WHO, 2017). Though depression affects a significant portion of Chinese society, little has been done to help recognize and treat these people.

For every 100,000 people, there are only 1.7 Psychiatrists (WHO, 2017). This is likely due to the fact that Psychiatrists have a low status and are paid significantly less than other medical practitioners in China (WHO, 2017). In addition to the lack of professionals to treat mental health disorders like depression, healthcare such as this is a luxury, unaffordable to the poor population. Due to this gap in healthcare and treatment, an estimated 7.8 billion dollars are lost a year (WHO, 2017).

Due to the stigmas attached to depression acceptance of it is not common. Forty years ago in China a person with a disability would commonly be called “canfei” basically meaning useless (Y-Wang, 2016). So instead of the diagnosis of depression, most Chinese use “shenjingshuairuo,” which focuses more on the physical symptoms of depression (Gladstone, Parker, & Tsee Chee, 2001). Discrimination is common because of the stigmas of “uselessness” attached to people with disabilities. But, times are changing and the government recognizes that ignoring a portion of its population is even more inefficient than making the changes required to make the work place more accessible.

In the country of growth, and people are beginning to recognize that people with disabilities are a population that needs recognition. The model of disability that seems to be coming into place is the socio-political model. I see this from recent attempts to make the country more accessible and work friendly for individuals with disabilities.

Reference

Gladstone, G., Parker, G., & Tsee Chee K. (2001). Depression in the planet’s largest ethnic group: the Chinese. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 158(6), 857-864. /doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.158.6.857

World Health Organization (WHO). (March 2017). Who China office fact sheet. Retrieved at http://www.wpro.who.int/china/topics/mental_health/1703mentalhealthfactsheet.pdf

Y-Wang. (2016). China Source. A glance at people with disabilities in china. Retrieved from https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/articles/a-glance-at-people-with-disabilities-in-china