A brief guide to mental health resources in Beijing
Featuring support groups, counselling services, emergency contacts and more
Struggling with any sort of disease or illness can be hard. It can become especially hard if you also happen to be living in a country that is not your own, if you don't speak the language fluently, or even if you just live in a different city to your close family and friends. Struggling with an illness that others might not even see or be aware of can become even harder.
Yet, despite how difficult it may seem at times, there are people out there who understand and want to help. Like many things in Beijing, finding the right support for yourself may take some time, and contacts through WeChat or word of mouth, so we've rounded up just a few resources to help. If you have any further information on mental health support in Beijing, we encourage you to contact us so that we can list as many options as possible.
Peer support with CandleX
Hosted by CandleX, these bimonthly sessions aim to help Beijing's English-speaking community improve their wellbeing by removing the stigma attached to mental health issues. These meetings provide a safe environment for attendees to share their personal feelings and experiences in small, confidential gatherings. Meetings take place on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7.30 to 9pm.
The location will be revealed once guests have signed up. To register, scan the QR code below.
BJU Psychological Health Center
Image: United Family Healthcare Beijing
The Psychological Health Center at Beijing United Family Hospital provides consultations, assessments and treatment to individuals, adults, children, couples and families. Treatment is available for mood disorders, relationship and parenting issues, loss and bereavement concerns, as well as educational and developmental needs. If you have questions or want to make an appointment, call or access their website.
Raffles counselling services
The Mental Health and Counselling department at the Raffles Medical Group is staffed by experienced, internationally trained doctors and counsellors. They provide individual therapy, pre-marital, couples and family therapy, support for adjustment issues, help with parent-child relationships, assistance in stress management, as well as psycho-educational assessments. Their services are available in English, French, Japanese and Chinese. For more information visit their website, or call to make an appointment.
Crisis hotlines
If you are in a crisis or know of someone who is, please make sure you or the person you know is safe. Call an ambulance or seek additional help if there is any risk to life. If you are worried about your own safety, or just want to talk, there is always someone available to listen. Take five minutes to call, and see what happens; there are suicide crisis lines and general helplines that operate around the world.
Lifeline Shanghai
Lifeline Shanghai serves the English-speaking community in China with free, confidential and anonymous emotional support via telephone. Available from 10am to 10pm, 365 days of the year, their helpline offers services that respect everyone’s right to be heard, understood and cared for, with helpline assistants ready to listen, support and connect you to other services as needed. Although located in Shanghai, the operators are available to talk to anyone in crisis. For more information, visit their website (lifeline-shanghai.com) or call (021) 6279 8990.
Beijing Research and Prevention Center
For Chinese speakers, visit the Beijing Crisis website (crisis.org.cn), or call 8295 1332 (24-hour psychological assistance).
International crisis hotlines
In China, Lifeline Shanghai caters to English-speakers. However, there are numerous other ways to talk to someone, regardless of where you are, what time it is, or what you're feeling. For a list of other available helplines, use the search bar at the top right corner of Befrienders' site (befrienders.org).
Online counselling services
Online counselling has become a much more widely accepted alternative source of support over the last few years. From Skype sessions to tailored meditation apps, there are numerous web-based resources that can provide different forms of mental health support. For longer-term, one-on-one counselling, there are a few websites that offer licensed, experienced help for people around the world.
The best-known sites are BetterHelp (betterhelp.com) and Talkspace (talkspace.com), offering numerous licensed professionals and ways to contact them. These online services do come with a fee, but with weekly plans starting from about 40USD, most do offer unlimited messaging or online chats as needed.
Paediatric services
Olivia’s Place is an organisation that provides high-quality, multi-disciplinary paediatric consulting services for local and expatriate children of all abilities and ages. In addition to psychological support, they also offer consulting services for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, learning and behaviour support and development programs. The multi-national staff provide consulting services in English and Chinese, as well as several other languages. More information can be found on their website (oliviasplace.org).
Beijing LGBT Center
The Beijing LGBT Center is an all-inclusive, supportive and safe community for LGBT individuals and families, aiming to not only fight against bigotry but to help and uplift, as well as connect members of the community. Besides events and activities, the centre also offers a range of psychological support services. For more information, visit their website (bjlgbtcenter.org.cn).
Beijing Mindfulness Centre
The Beijing Mindfulness Centre is dedicated to providing a safe and inspiring environment for learning and growth. They offer various mindfulness-based programs in English, Spanish and Chinese. For more information visit their website (beijingmindfulness.com).
Who to call in an emergency
These are the emergency numbers you should know (and save in your phone). The local police and ambulance numbers are now equipped with translators, so have no fear if you do not speak Chinese – they will make sure you talk to someone who speaks English.
Police 110
Ambulance 120 (local service); 999 (run by the Beijing Red Cross)
Fire 119 (Chinese only)
For an international, 24-hour emergency hotline, call:
Beijing United Family Hospital 6433 2345 or 5927 7120
For foreign-language clinics, contact:
Raffles International Clinic 6462 9112 (8am-8pm daily)
Peking Union Medical College Hospital 6529 4088 (day); 6529 5283 (night)
It is highly recommended that you keep emergency numbers to hand in case of any unforeseen circumstances; it might also be helpful to save your embassy's contact details. Ensure your emergency contact information is current, and that if you have any medical issues these are listed on a medical ID or on your phone.
And, just in case you do find yourself in a pickle (or worse), here are some phrases to help you get help:
Help! Jiù mìng!
Call an ambulance! Jiào jiùhùchē!
Call the police! Jiào jǐngchá!
I am sick. Wŏ bìng le.
Get a doctor. Kuài qù zhăo yīshēng.
For further information and links to all websites, hit 'Read more'.
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