By CGTN's Wang Fan
China released information on Friday about the state of the country's health development program.
It is expected to focus on three areas: mental disorders related to depression, Alzheimer's disease and male excessive drinking. Research shows an increasing number of patients in these categories.
The World Health Organization reported that 54 million people in China suffered from depression, costing the country 7.8 billion US dollars every year on medical expenditure and funeral expenses.
Nearly four percent of the population are said to have some form of depression.
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"The 25-35 age bracket is the most vulnerable demographic," said Wang Gang, head of Beijing Anding Hospital. "Females are twice as vulnerable as males."
By the end of 2015, there were close to 3,000 institutions providing mental health services in China, nearly double the number in 2010, which was only 1,650. There are now also more than 5,000 psychological therapists and over 900,000 certified psychological consultants nationwide.
Despite those numbers, China still faces a significant shortfall in qualified practitioners.
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"We are urging comprehensive hospitals and hospitals of Chinese medicine to set up their own psychological departments," said Wang Bin, deputy director of the Bureau of Disease Control of China's National Health and Family Planning Commission.
"We are also cooperating with the ministry of education to launch mental health undergraduate programs in more than 10 colleges and add the clinical psychology discipline in comprehensive universities."
China is also ramping up efforts on medical reform.
"Beijing, for instance, will kick off its medical reform plan on April 8," says Wang Gang. "Through reform on the medicine purchasing system, costs of medicine are expected to decrease by 20 percent, which will be favorable for mental health patients."
