Despite law ordering closure, Argentine psychiatric hospitals still operating 3 minutes read
By Javier Castro Bugarin
Buenos Aires, Apr 29 (EFE).- Almost three decades after leaving the Borda Hospital in 1992, Argentina’s best-known psychiatric hospital, Eduardo Codina’s voice still trembles when he recalls his years-long stay there. His upbeat demeanor shifts to absolute seriousness when he tells about his experiences over the 12 years he was treated there for reasons he’d prefer to forget.
“I felt very injured. I was aware of what had happened to me, so I had to make a decision: stay on the street or end up dead from too many psychotropic drugs,” Codina – who, despite his mental health issues, can live independently – said in an interview with EFE at the Parque España, just 500 meters (a third of a mile) from the spot where he went through his agonies.
China’s mental health problem is, for lack of a better word, depressing. We cross paths with thousands of people on a daily basis in the PRC’s biggest cities, with one in eight people statistically suffering from one debilitating mental disorder or another.
This past year has been especially challenging for many who’ve lost a job, had their wage cut, or are entering an anemic workforce. While more resources have been dedicated to mental health in recent years as well as the proliferation of mental health apps in China, cultural stigmas can adversely impact those in society who need help the most. Here we dive into China’s mental health infrastructure and address what needs to happen for the country’s population suffering from mental health disorders to receive the care they need.