Shenzhen Implements First National Mental Health Regulations

As the first mental health regulation in China, the “Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Mental Health Regulations” (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulations”) was formally implemented on January 1, 2012. Its main purpose is to “improve public health” and “build a harmonious society”. .

Due to the characteristics of large floating population, high pressure on life, and migration to cities, Shenzhen is facing a severe mental health situation. According to the Shenzhen residents’ psychiatric epidemiological survey results in 2005, the prevalence rate of mental illness among residents over the age of 18 was 21.19%, and the prevalence of severe mental illness was 1.41%.

How to protect the mental health of Shenzhen citizens and how to standardize mental health services urgently require the introduction of relevant laws and regulations to ensure escort. At the beginning of 2006, the Standing Committee of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Congress organized the drafting group for mental health regulations. Many times it was easily revised and held several symposiums. However, in 2009 the Municipal People’s Congress suspended the review of Shenzhen Mental Health Ordinance for some reason.

Since then, the mental health situation in China and Shenzhen has undergone tremendous changes. On the one hand, a number of provinces and cities in the Mainland have successively experienced politician accidents and accidents, and “being mentally ill” has become the focus of media coverage. On the other hand, several incidents triggered by mental health have also occurred in Shenzhen. The understanding of mental health among the government and the general public has rapidly increased in a short period of time. In December 2010, the Shenzhen People’s Congress decided to restart the review of the Regulations.

Zhang Mingyuan, an expert of the NPC’s mental health legislation work and the vice chairman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, commented that Shenzhen’s “Regulations” have a high starting point. He believes that the translation of "mental health" and "mental health" into English is the same word (mental health), but from the understanding of conventional conventions, "mental health" focuses on people with existing mental disorders, and the coverage of "mental health" is The whole crowd.