At present, how many depression patients are there in China, is the number of patients increasing, and is the incidence rising? Many experts in the interview have different opinions, but the consensus is that depression needs more attention from society, because only by paying attention can we lay the foundation for more patients to get early diagnosis and treatment. Low consultation rate, more serious in rural areas Although the public has been concerned about depression, the identification rate and consultation rate of patients are still very low. ”Data show that the current consultation rate of depression patients in China is less than 30%, which means that only 30% of patients will actively seek help from doctors; in foreign countries, the consultation rate of depression patients reaches 60%-70%. Moreover, the rate of depression consultation in rural areas of China is even lower, even below 10 percent.” Lu Lin, president of the Sixth Hospital of Peking University, said that lack of awareness is the main reason for the low consultation rate, so it is imperative to strengthen training to improve rural doctors’ understanding and awareness of depression and to popularize depression-related knowledge to the public. At the same time, the lack of psychiatrists in primary hospitals should not be ignored. “Many county hospitals do not have psychiatrists, which affects the diagnosis and treatment of depression at the grassroots level. To meet the basic needs of existing patients in China, at least 50,000 psychiatrists are needed, while there are only about 20,000, with a large talent gap.” It is understood that in order to expand the coverage of psychiatrists, in June 2015 the National Health and Family Planning Commission and 10 other departments jointly formulated the National Mental Health Work Plan (2015-2020), which proposes to increase the number of psychiatrists in China by 20,000 to reach 40,000 in five years. The ways include undergraduate training in higher education institutions, “5+3″ standardized residency training, transfer of physicians from other departments, and increasing the scope of mental health practice of primary care physicians. Seventy percent can be cured, relapse prevention is the key,” according to the World Health Organization, by 2020, the global burden of mental illness accounts for 1/3 of the total social burden of disease, a figure that reached 22% in 2010. And depression accounts for half of the mental illnesses.” Lu Lin listed a set of data for reporters, currently in China, 70% of depression patients are mild and moderate, and 30% of major depression patients who appear suicidal. Depression is preventable and treatable, and 70 percent of depression can be cured. Lu Asia, director of the depression treatment center ward at Beijing An Ding Hospital, told reporters that depression can be cured by medication and psychotherapy, and that it must be treated systematically and comprehensively by timely consultation. More than half of the depressed patients with the first onset of depression may not relapse if they receive perfect treatment. However, incomplete treatment can increase the risk of relapse. “If a patient has residual symptoms that are not completely cleared, the risk of relapse will be three times higher and the relapse rate will be three times faster than in patients who are completely cured. Therefore, complete removal of residual symptoms is one of the key aspects of depression treatment. And the more relapses there are, the higher the risk of reoccurrence for patients.” Reaching a collaborative consensus and building a referral model The diverse manifestations of depression require professionals from different fields, such as psychiatrists, internists and counselors, to work together to form a collaborative model, make good patient referrals and improve the efficiency of treatment. “For example, some patients are in the pre-disease stage and do not want to go to the hospital for consultation, at this time the psychological counseling institutions of universities and society can provide psychological guidance services with relatively sufficient time to do early intervention before the disease. If the patient is assessed to be in serious condition, he or she is referred to a medical institution for treatment. When the patient’s condition improves and psychological support is needed, the medical institution is then referred to the counseling agency. For patients, such a model is very helpful. Of course, it also requires the government to develop a good patient referral mechanism.” Zhang Haiyin said that some medical institutions and psychological counseling agencies in Shanghai have already formed a mutual referral model on their own initiative, and there is a consensus between doctors and counselors to collaborate on treatment. For example, the Shanghai Mental Health Center has cooperated with local universities to help students diagnose and treat depression, with a tacit understanding. For emergencies, psychological crisis intervention also requires teamwork in order to respond quickly to avoid extreme events. Professionals reach common goals, build data sharing and management platforms, link up with universities, public security and other systems, and do pilot mapping experiences through community and general hospital emergency clinics. ”In 2015, the “Shanghai Three-Year Action Plan to Strengthen the Public Health System (2015-2017)” proposed that the city develop policies and institutional safeguards from the government level to strengthen the training of mental health service professionals, psychiatrists to further improve the service capacity of psychological counseling, and social psychological counseling agencies to provide standardized services. ” Zhang Haiyin said that during the promotion of the Plan, the Shanghai Mental Health Center has undertaken several projects and is exploring the referral model between hospitals and psychological services and the construction of an integrated network of psychological crisis intervention system.