Expanding the Mental Health Workforce in China: Narrowing the Mental Health Service Gap

There is a significant gap between mental health service coverage and the need for these services in China. In particular, workforce shortages impair several aspects of China’s national mental health service system, including access to timely diagnosis and treatment in rural areas, expansion of general hospital psychiatric consultation-liaison services, and leadership in establishing a collaborative stepped-care system. This column focuses on China’s ongoing efforts to develop its mental health workforce to ensure a sustainable supply of psychiatrists and allied mental health professionals.