Government urged to help train more mental health professionals

Expert says China will need 40,000 more psychiatrists and 430,000 more psychological counselors in the coming years. Wang Keju reports

Liu Xinrui, a middle school student in Shijiazhuang, capital of the northern province of Hebei, was having difficulty breathing and occasionally she felt nauseous. The symptoms arose as Liu prepared for numerous extracurricular classes arranged by her parents.

The anxious 14-year-old asked her mother to take her to one of the city's best-ranked hospitals so she could consult a psychiatrist. To her dismay, she found that there were very few trained personnel available.