Social development and mental health in contemporary rural China

Abstract

It is unknown about the impact of rapid social development (economics, urbanization, migration) on mental health status in contemporary rural China. To explore the change of prevalence of mental disorders, caregiving and treatment status of persons with mental disorders from 1994 to 2015 in rural China, and to examine the factors influencing mental health status in persons with mental disorders.Methods:Two mental health surveys using identical methods and International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) were conducted in 1994 and 2015 (population - 15 years old: N=152,776) in the same six townships of Xinjin County, Chengdu, China. The age-standardized lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in all persons aged 15 years and above significantly increased 48.2% from 870.1 per 100,000 population in 1994 to 1289.4 per 100,000 population in 2015. Compared with 1994, persons with mental disorders in 2015 had significantly higher rates of poor family economic status, fewer family caregivers, and poor mental status. Persons with mental disorders in 2015 also had significantly higher rates of never being treated, taking antipsychotic drugs and once hospitalized, and lower rates of using traditional Chinese medicine or being treated by traditional/spiritual healers. The factors strongly associated with never being treated included worse mental status (symptoms/social functioning), older age, having no family caregivers, and poor family economic status. Socioeconomic development will influence the prevalence of mental disorders, family caregiving and treatment status of persons with mental disorders in contemporary rural China. Relative poverty, having no family caregivers and older age are important factors associated with worse treatment status. Mental health social workers, community-based interventions and targeted poverty alleviation programs should be crucial for improving the early identification, treatment, and recovery of persons with mental disorders in rural China.