At the end of June, Life Week magazine published an article about a post-95 young person with severe depression who couldn’t afford high psychological counseling fees, leading to medication and self-healing exploration. Subsequently, the story became a hot topic on Weibo, with some netizens saying, “Finally someone noticed this issue,” while others started offering advice to find better healing methods.
In recent years, mental health issues have been increasingly concerning. According to the report “China National Mental Health Development Report (2021-2022)” released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Psychology, the detection rate of depression risk among respondents was 10.6%, and anxiety risk detection rate was 15.8%.
Against this backdrop, the high costs of psychological counseling and the mixed market of psychological counseling have deterred some patients. What causes psychological counseling, which should heal the soul, to instead cause patients to have “mental illness”? Who are some of the individuals providing psychological counseling to patients in the market? How can this situation be changed?
To address these questions, the reporter chatted with netizens and industry experts with relevant experiences and, at the same time, embarked on an investigation as a beginner in psychological counseling studies.
How are the market prices really? Some patients exclaimed, “Too expensive to afford.”
In early 2023, due to family and work changes, combined with symptoms like insomnia and restlessness, Xu Peng (pseudonym) was in a bad state and sought help at a tertiary specialized hospital psychiatric department, where he was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and prescribed medication.
As the medication didn’t work quickly, the exhausted Xu Peng sought a breakthrough. “It’s not easy to talk about negative things with people around me, but I really need to express myself. A psychologist, as an outsider, is more suitable and can provide more professional help,” Xu Peng said.
However, seeking help was not easy, as Xu Peng found it difficult to get an appointment with specialists at the tertiary specialized hospital he visited. At a loss, guided by a doctor, Xu Peng chose a private studio, where the hourly rate was 600 yuan.
“Counseling is effective; it helps me analyze current issues and provides solutions. After chatting, my confidence indeed improved,” but after this instance, Xu Peng did not make another appointment for psychological counseling. The reason, he explained, was that though helpful, the cost was high, making it unsustainable in the long run.
Indeed, the current prices for psychological counseling and therapy are not cheap, and it is not an isolated case.
In April 2023, white-collar worker Zhang Ke (pseudonym), due to extreme pessimism and depression, visited the clinical psychology department of a tertiary hospital, where she was diagnosed with anxiety-depression disorder. From registration to analysis, medication prescription, the whole process cost over 1200 yuan. The doctor suggested one-on-one counseling, but Zhang Ke instantly declined.
She told the reporter that she had researched counseling prices through various channels and, having an idea about the costs, felt unable to afford it directly. “Seeing a doctor and taking medication is already expensive. Counseling is not a one or two-time solution; indeed, it’s hard to afford.”
Continues…
