• psychiatry

In the wake of the rapid economy and society development, phenomena such as industrialisation, urbanisation, marketisation and the ageing of the population have shown an accelerating trend. As a result, mental health issues due to these phenomena are increasingly serious, making mental health both concerning public health and societal issues that have a great impact on economic and social development.1 In 2014, there were 16 million persons with severe mental disorders in China. The prevalence of all mental diseases reached 13.47%, ranking number one in the overall burden of disease and accounting for 20% of the overall burden of disease. By the year 2020, the ratio of mental illness to the overall burden of disease was projected to rise to 25%.2 Unfortunately, the mental health service resources and professional capability that China currently possesses are far from enough. Furthermore, the acquisition of information and knowledge pertaining to mental health development domestically and abroad does not come easily to physicians. A tremendous number of psychiatric patients do not receive timely and effective treatment and rehabilitation. Consequently, it affects the quality of life of patients and their family, and brings a heavy burden to society. Therefore, effective dissemination and communication of the concepts and research progress in psychiatry domestically and internationally are of extraordinary significance.

As the first psychiatric academic journal in Mainland China, General Psychiatry (formerly known as Shanghai Archives of Psychiatry) has all the while been devoted to the elimination of the mental health knowledge gap, publication of …