Mental health resources and awareness of anxiety and depressive disorders in general hospitals in China

Abstract

Background: Mental health disorders are common in China. There is a lack of knowledge and resources of mental health in China. Objectives: To assess the levels of psychiatric resources and services in general hospitals in China. Methods: Data regarding psychiatric departments, wards and staff were collected from 57 general hospitals in four provinces of China (Hubei, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang and Yunnan) between April 2014 and June 2014. Questionnaires were distributed to 1,200 non-psychiatric clinicians. Results: Among the 57 hospitals, 50 provided mental health services, 36 had mental health wards, and seven had neither mental health clinics nor wards. The median number of mental health clinicians was six per hospital. The median number of specialized nurses was 42 per hospital. A total of 1,152 non-psychiatric clinicians with a career duration of 9.4 ± 8.9 years returned completed questionnaires. Only 6.9% reported a good understanding of the manifestation of anxiety and depressive disorders, 4.5% reported a good understanding of the diagnostic criteria, and 3.8% reported a good understanding of the treatment protocols. Discussion: There is inadequate awareness of anxiety and depressive disorders among non-psychiatric clinicians in general hospitals in China. This awareness/understanding increased with increasing hospital level.