The evolution of mental health related policies in China: A bibliometric analysis, 1987-2020

Haiyan Li; Qingyu Zhou; Hao Zhu; Peiwu Shi; Qunhong Shen; Zhaoyang Zhang; Zheng Chen; Chuan Pu; Lingzhong Xu; Zhi Hu; Anning Ma; Zhaohui Gong; Tianqiang Xu; Panshi Wang; Hua Wang; Chao Hao; Chengyue Li; Mo Hao

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.964248

The evolution of mental health related policies in China: A bibliometric analysis, 1987-2020

Front Public Health. 2022 Nov 24:10:964248. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.964248. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Haiyan Li^{1

2

3}, Qingyu Zhou^{1

2

3}, Hao Zhu^{1

2

3}, Peiwu Shi^{2

4}, Qunhong Shen^{2

5}, Zhaoyang Zhang^{2

6}, Zheng Chen^{2

7}, Chuan Pu^{2

8}, Lingzhong Xu^{2

9}, Zhi Hu^{2

10}, Anning Ma^{2

11}, Zhaohui Gong^{2

12}, Tianqiang Xu^{2

13}, Panshi Wang^{2

14}, Hua Wang^{2

15}, Chao Hao^{2

16}, Chengyue Li^{1

2

3}, Mo Hao^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Research Institute of Health Development Strategies, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
² Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
³ Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁵ School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
⁶ Project Supervision Center of National Health Commission of the China, Beijing, China.
⁷ Department of Grassroots Public Health Management Group, Public Health Management Branch of Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, Shanghai, China.
⁸ School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
⁹ School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
¹⁰ School of Health Service Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
¹¹ School of Management, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.
¹² Committee on Medicine and Health of Central Committee of China Zhi Gong Party, Beijing, China.
¹³ Institute of Inspection and Supervision, Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Shanghai, China.
¹⁴ Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Shanghai, China.
¹⁵ Jiangsu Preventive Medicine Association, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
¹⁶ Changzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.

Abstract

Background: Since 1987, the Chinese government has promoted public mental health by continuously implementing mental health related policies. This research attempts to reveal the distribution and characteristics of mental health related policies. In addition, it can help stakeholders evaluate whether the environment for policy implementation has improved and identify key points in the development of the overall mental health system.

Methods: We used a bibliometric approach to analyze the evolution of mental health related policies in China from 1987 to 2020. A total of 239 mental health related policies were collected from Beida Fabao and official Internet websites of governmental departments. Co-wording, social networks, and citation analysis were applied to explore the evolutionary features of such policies.

Results: The evolution of policy development showed that the number of mental health related policies in China has been increasing and their content has been enriched. Over time, mental health related policies not only gradually expanded its focus on common mental disorders, but also included an increasing number of keywords related to service provision, organization and administration. However, most policies were implemented independently by separate agencies and the number of policies jointly implemented by different agencies only accounted for 32.64% of all the policies implemented. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is at the core of the collaborative network associated with implementing mental health related policies in China.

Conclusion: The environment associated with the implementation of mental health related policies in China is gradually improving. However, cross-sector collaboration among different agencies needs to be strengthened and financial support for related resources needs more attention. A clear division of responsibilities among various agencies and a sustainable financing mechanism are essential to the development and implementation of mental health related policies.

Keywords: China; bibliometrics; mental health; policy analysis; policy evolution.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bibliometrics
China
Government
Health Policy*
Humans
Mental Health*