Depression
Anxiety.
Lack of self-confidence.
Eating disorders.
These are just a few of the mental illnesses that people, globally, may be suffering from at any one time. Do they make a sufferer incapable of working? Of course not. There are plenty of treatment programs available to the world that can help that group of people manage their conditions and continue to be essential members of society.
In recent years, there has been an increase in acceptance of mental illness. Support networks and funding for psychological treatments have increased. The pandemic that is still causing significant disruption to the world has seen governments redirect funding towards mental illnesses, particularly anxiety and depression.
However, East Asia has not followed the West in this understanding. Many young Chinese people bury their mental and emotional problems deep inside until… well, forever. For someone who struggled with bullying and a wide range of challenges, this is a recipe for disaster.
An unwillingness to express oneself is an unwillingness to be open with each other. A society that actively hides their true feelings and selves is destined to lack emotional connection. It is no wonder that the marriage rate and birth rate are dropping – people are no longer forming genuine human relationships.
One of the reasons for the stigma against mental illnesses is the intense competition in China. From a young age, everyone is taught to be at their best at every moment of every day. Any imperfection must be carved out of their personality. Regardless of what that imperfection might be, parents are quick to hide it from others. Children are not celebrated for their differences and individuality but rather for their high academic scores.
The many classes that require repetitive homework bereft of creativity stifle children and teenagers. Regardless of the extracurricular classes their parents may put them through, all that matters is the outcomes of a small number of exams throughout the year.
What is the reason for this social stigma? It also comes to the issue of face culture. Like many things in China, it is not always about individual achievements but about showing others those personal achievements. WeChat moments of mothers are often full of what their child has achieved and nothing about themselves.
If they were to dare speak about their problems, that would acknowledge that not all is well with their lives. In these carefully curated times, this cannot be done. Everything must be seen through a filter of perfection. Only those brave enough to speak out and share their pain are prepared to put their heads above the virtual parapet. They are the ones that are willing to speak openly and honestly about their pain.
These days, primarily teenage and college-aged students are speaking openly about their struggles. In my days since being a foreign teacher, many have reached out to discuss issues around anxiety and depression – in part because I have been open about my struggles. Now with university or low-level jobs, my former students talk about the intense pressure and enormous stresses they face.
They tell me about the pressure from their families to find a partner and get married, despite being told for the previous 12 years, not to date. They speak about the long hours of classes that teach them enormous amounts of content. I am told about being felt up on subway trains, working late into the night, abused by bosses, receiving low pay… and that is their thanks for all their hard work.
It is no wonder why they are more open about their mental and emotional health and the increased self-reported rates of anxiety and depression.
Winding up in alternative modes of employment, or rejecting the traditional employment pathways to take something that makes them happy, is to be expected. Perhaps a broader interpretation of "common prosperity" needs to be considered – one where societal wealth is not the only determining factor.
Coming back to the issue of the stigma around mental health, it is my view that a cultural shift around education is required for any significant change to occur. Encouraging more education related to mental health issues and properly treating them, particularly in the secondary and tertiary years, would certainly help. It would also be good to have counselors at secondary schools across the country.
In addition, there needs to be an acknowledgment by government officials that good mental health needs a holistic treatment program that can produce benefits for society. Indeed, no man or woman should be left behind in a nation as large as China. This is particularly the case when having valuable and productive members of society is critical to common prosperity.
When treatments are available, society should support each other rather than shun one another. Understanding how to support the mental and emotional struggles is crucial for their ongoing contribution to society, at all levels. Let's help people so everyone can live happily in a win-win environment.
(The author is a senior copywriter in Nanshan. He has lived in Shenzhen for over eight years.)