The Mental Health Law of the People’s Republic of China was adopted at the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress on October 26, 2012. The law will be officially implemented on May 1, 2013. So what does the mental health law say? The main nine points are as follows: First, the legislative purpose of the mental health law is to promote the development of mental health, regulate mental health services, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of patients with mental disorders. Second, mental health is related to the well-being of every person, every family. Employers, schools, communities and families should pay attention to mental health issues and work together to maintain and promote mental health. Third, psychological counseling can be carried out in the employing unit, schools, hospitals and prisons, as well as community or welfare and charity institutions. Psychological treatment should be carried out in medical institutions. General hospitals should open psychiatric outpatient or psychotherapy outpatient services for patients. Fourth, there are strict legal procedures for the diagnosis, treatment, hospitalization and discharge of mental disorders. V. The state implements a system for reporting the onset of serious mental disorders. Patients with severe mental disorders have free access to basic public health services in accordance with the law. Poor patients with severe mental disorders are funded by the government to participate in basic medical insurance, and can receive priority medical assistance; eligible for the minimum living security. Sixth, governments at all levels should incorporate mental health work into the local national economic and social development planning, increase financial investment, strengthen mental health work at the grassroots, poor and remote areas, to ensure that the mental health care needs of funding, facilities and equipment and personnel. Seven, continuous treatment and rehabilitation is an important measure for patients with severe mental disorders to return to society. Mental health law provides for the establishment of community rehabilitation institutions that provide rehabilitation services to people with mental disorders. Eight, patients with mental disorders, personal and property security shall not be violated, education, participation in labor and other legitimate rights and interests are protected by law. Patient privacy and disease information should be kept confidential. News reports and works of literature and art shall not contain discrimination, insulting the content of patients with mental disorders. Nine, infringement of the legitimate rights and interests of patients with mental disorders will be held legally responsible. These are the main contents of the Mental Health Law. Within these contents, there are some important concepts that need to be explained in order for everyone to understand. A. What are the legal procedures for diagnosis, treatment, hospitalization and discharge of mental disorders? 1. The diagnosis of mental disorders should be based on mental health status and made by a psychiatrist in accordance with the classification and diagnostic criteria of mental disorders. (Provisions on diagnosis) 2. In addition to individuals who go to medical institutions for diagnosis of mental disorders, close relatives of patients with suspected mental disorders can send them to medical institutions for diagnosis of mental disorders. Suspected mental disorder patients occur to harm themselves, endanger the safety of others, or the risk of harming themselves, endangering the safety of others, their close relatives, the unit, the local public security organs should immediately take measures to stop, and send them to a medical institution for diagnosis of mental disorders. (Provisions on sending) 3. Medical institutions and their medical personnel shall follow the treatment norms for mental disorders to develop treatment plans for patients, and inform patients with mental disorders or their guardians of the treatment plan and treatment methods, purposes, and possible consequences. (Provisions on treatment) 4. The principle of voluntary inpatient treatment for mental disorders is implemented. However, the diagnosis of severe mental disorder, and has occurred to harm themselves or endanger the safety of others, or the risk of harming themselves or endangering the safety of others, should be implemented inpatient treatment. (Provisions on hospitalization) 5, has occurred to endanger the safety of others, or the risk of endangering the safety of others, patients with severe mental disorders or their guardians disagree with the diagnosis of the need for inpatient treatment, do not agree to the implementation of inpatient treatment, you can request re-diagnosis and identification. (Provisions on hospitalization) 6. Patients with mental disorders who are voluntarily hospitalized may request to be discharged at any time. For patients with severe mental disorders who have already committed acts of harm to themselves, or are in danger of harming themselves to implement inpatient treatment, the guardian can request the patient to be discharged at any time. For the implementation of inpatient treatment of patients with severe mental disorders who have committed acts that endanger the safety of others, or are in danger of endangering the safety of others, the medical institution that the patient can be discharged shall immediately inform the patient and his guardian. (Provisions on discharge) Second, what is a serious mental disorder? 1, Article 83 of the Mental Health Law provides that the severe mental disorder referred to in this law is a mental disorder in which the symptoms of the disease are severe, resulting in serious impairment of the patient’s social adaptation and other functions, inability to have a complete understanding of their own health status or objective reality, or inability to handle their own affairs. Severe mental disorder is a legal concept, not a medical diagnosis name. 2.Severe mental disorders are divided into two categories. The first category includes: schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder (paranoid psychosis), bipolar disorder, epileptic psychosis, mental retardation and other six types, which are also collectively referred to as severe mental illness. The second category is other mental disorders that meet both of the following two conditions: Behavioral disorders such as refusal to eat, freezing, or reversal of intent that have clear psychotic symptoms or cause significant impairment of physical health or endanger life. Severe impairment of social function or inability to take care of oneself due to illness; or refusal of treatment due to loss of the ability to recognize one’s mental disorder. C. What are the basic public health services provided by the state to patients with severe mental disorders? The basic public health services provided by the state to patients with severe mental disorders include the establishment of resident health records, comprehensive assessment and regular follow-up visits at least four times a year, necessary medication dose adjustment and symptomatic treatment, rehabilitation guidance such as health education and life skills training, psychological support, and annual health checkups. What are the community rehabilitation institutions that provide rehabilitation services to people with mental disorders? Community rehabilitation institutions that provide rehabilitation services to people with mental disorders include various vocational rehabilitation training centers, industrial (agricultural) therapy stations, day-care rehabilitation stations, various long-term care institutions, halfway houses and other institutions that provide rehabilitation services for mental disorders in the community. The responsibilities of community rehabilitation institutions in the rehabilitation of mental disorders are mainly twofold: first, to provide places and conditions for patients with mental disorders who need rehabilitation, and second, to provide rehabilitation training for patients in terms of their ability to take care of themselves and social adaptation. V. What are the legitimate rights and interests of patients with mental disorders? Patients with mental disorders, like other citizens, enjoy personal and property rights, as well as the legitimate rights and interests in education, labor, medical care, and material assistance from the state and society. The patient’s right to informed consent, privacy, communication and the right to meet visitors during hospitalization are protected by law. If a patient’s lawful rights and interests are infringed, the patient, his guardian or close relatives may file a lawsuit according to the law.