Recent studies have shown that 80 percent of Chinese adults and teenagers suffer from stress at one time or another. In the most serious cases, stress causes an estimated 6,000 deaths every year.

A form of treatment proven effective in the West is music therapy, which addresses both the psychological and the physical impact of stress.

The first known use of music therapy was during World War II, when it helped the recovery of wounded soldiers. More recently, it has been shown to be effective in energizing people suffering from a variety of mental and physical conditions, including autism and Alzheimer’s. 

In China, however, as a relatively new concept, music therapy is recommended by very few doctors. Unlike traditional Chinese medicine, it hasn’t been embraced by the public health system, nor is there any official qualification for music therapists. A mere 14 universities in China offer music therapy courses, a tiny proportion compared with Western countries. As a result, the number of professionally-trained music therapists in China is very low.

In recent years, however, music therapy and its benefits have been tentatively recognized by the authorities. Music therapists have been called in to help people cope psychologically, in the aftermath of a number of catastrophic events, beginning with the Wenchuan earthquake. Official recognition has also extended to its use in sport, with athletes in major events such as the Olympics, being helped to relax. 

Li Bing, from Gao's Music Therapy Center, studied music therapy in the US before returning to China. Every Tuesday, she offers her therapy to disabled members of the Taoranting community in Beijing. Now she is planning to return to the States for further study, after which she’ll establish her own music therapy center in China in hopes of opening up business opportunities for her fellow professionals.