Chinese Journal of Health Policy 2014;(5):27-32

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-2982.2014.05.005

Status quo of international mental health financing and its implications for China

Suwei YUAN ; Jin MA

Keywords

Mental disorders; Health financing; Government function; Public health

Country

China

Language

Chinese

Abstract

Insufficient financial investments and insufficient raised funds are a common dilemma in mental health service worldwide .The primary sources of mental health financing worldwide are taxes , social insurance , and out-of-pocket expenditure by the patient or family .Government plays the primary role in fund raising .China has a low level of mental health service and poor equity in mental health financing as well as irrational allocation of funds . Mental health financing system in China should be improved by adding the financing system into mental health law and the outline of the central mental health work while making it clear that government , especially central govern-ment, is the main subject of mental health financing .Community mental health should also have the priority over fund allocation in order to increase the efficiency of raising funds .