Worsening Political and Economic Situation in China Leads to 54 Million People Suffering from Depression

The National Health Commission of the mainland recently announced that 2025 to 2027 will be designated as the “Year of Pediatric and Mental Health Services” in order to provide more services for the increasing number of mental health issues. Experts believe that the worsening economic situation and increasingly difficult life in China are having a greater impact on people’s mental health.

The National Health Commission of the Chinese Communist Party stated in a declaration in January of this year that China will establish a mental health hotline, set up regional mental health centers nationwide, and “actively develop key specialized clinical programs in the field of mental health”.

According to reports from Voice of America, psychological and mental illnesses have always been very common and serious social issues in the totalitarian society of the Chinese Communist Party. Authorities impose comprehensive suppression on groups who seek to protect their rights and address injustices in the name of “social stability”, pushing people to extremes.

Especially in the past two years, China’s economy has severely deteriorated, with a large number of factories closing down and the number of unemployed people skyrocketing at an unprecedented rate, leading to serious escalation of social conflicts. The middle class and lower class people who have lost their jobs or homes often take extreme actions due to some random event.

In the past year, various violent incidents have occurred frequently in various parts of China. For example, a 62-year-old man in Zhuhai drove an off-road vehicle into a crowd of people exercising, resulting in at least 35 deaths and 43 injuries. In addition, many places such as Suzhou in Jiangsu, Shenzhen in Guangdong, Changde in Hunan, Jilin in Northeast China, and others have also witnessed incidents of violence and murder in public places, causing panic among the Chinese people and foreigners in China. These incidents have garnered high social attention, while mental health issues have also become a focus of public discourse.

Furthermore, many young students have developed depression due to unbearable study and exam pressures, leading to numerous cases of suicide by jumping off buildings or into rivers.

According to estimates by the World Health Organization, there are approximately 54 million people in China currently suffering from depression and around 41 million suffering from anxiety disorders.

A study conducted by the Institute of Psychology at the mainland Chinese Academy of Sciences shows that the age group of 20 to 30 experiences the highest mental stress, with young people in this group facing the most pressure among all age groups. Around 250,000 people in mainland China die by suicide each year, with over half of them suffering from depression.

Experts indicate that the worsening economic situation and increasingly difficult life are having a greater impact on people’s mental health.

The WHO estimates that depression-related absenteeism, medical expenses, and funeral costs in China result in an annual loss of $7.8 billion to the country.