Ding Yining / SHINE
The latest rehabilitation and public education program at the Shanghai Mental Health Center was unveiled today and it targets long-term interference for mental disorder patients.
The charity program “Mental Health Care Home” launched by the China Red Cross Foundation is the first of its kind in China. The program seeks to provide non-drug rehabilitation measures to help patients restore sociability.
Shao Yang, deputy director of the Shanghai Mental Health Center, said he hopes this program serves as a role model for grassroots healthcare facilities and neighborhoods.
The prognosis and rehabilitation intervention for patients with mental disorders such as schizophrenia will be the focus, with an aim on helping enhance their disease awareness, eliminate stigma, restore social function, and ultimately enable them to return to society.
The rehabilitation of schizophrenia patients goes far beyond simply alleviating symptoms as it also involves the process of restoring social functions and improving quality of life, he said.
“We hope the charity program will become a pilot scheme for other mental health institutions so that each can find their suitable models to offer rehabilitation programs so that patients can return to society smoothly,” he added.
Healthcare professionals and volunteers will host a series of activities for patients. They will include disseminating scientific knowledge about mental illnesses, helping patients and their families better understand their conditions, organizing daytime rehabilitation programs and providing functional recovery training.
For patients with stabilized conditions, these programs will enhance prognosis and social adaptability, supporting their reintegration into society to the greatest extent while alleviating the overall societal burden.
Guo Yang, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Red Cross Foundation, said that the establishment of the program represents an innovative initiative in the country’s mental health service system since it focuses on full-cycle management. It’s also an example of various parties working together to contribute to the advancement of mental health care in China, Guo added.
Health education lectures such as those focusing on sleep disorders and the role of physical activity in mental health have been scheduled in the coming weeks.
,https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2412191297/