Mental health research in China

China's rapidly growing economy and urbanisation have lifted much of its population out of poverty, but have also created new psychological pressures. With the world's second largest population, at over 1·4 billion, even minor shifts in the prevalence of mental disorders can affect millions of people and lead to significant challenges in providing effective services and treatment. Mental health stigma, as well as insufficient numbers of trained specialist mental health clinicians (in Shanghai there are 1100 psychiatrists and 18 000 psychiatric beds for over 24 million people), creates additional barriers for people in need of care.