Three mental health experts on how to ask for help in Shanghai

Illustrations: Young Yu

They say that a problem shared is a problem halved, but for a lot of us, sharing doesn’t always come easy, prompting a whole lineup of questions: what do you want to say, what if people judge you and who can you turn to? Whether you’re struggling with mental health issues or just looking for someone to talk to, Shanghai has resources for confidential support and advice in a multitude of languages and formats – but it’s natural to have questions or concerns. 

To answer some of them, we talk to three of Shanghai’s mental health experts on what resources are out there, common issues, how to fight stigma and the importance of looking after your mental health.

On common issues and triggers

Carrie Jones

Clinical Social Worker and Director of Community Center Shanghai Counselling

Anxiety, depression and relationships. These are the top three common issues Community Center Shanghai’s (CCS) counselling centre sees every year, Carrie Jones tells us. They are followed by a whole mix of things like adjustment and transition, culture shock, workplace stress and eating disorders. For many people, living in a mega-metropolis like Shanghai can be a trigger. A vast melting pot with endless opportunities, living here comes with huge pros. ‘It’s great that we’re advancing, it’s great that there are so many conveniences... But it also means life is constantly go, go, go and there’s constant change,’ explains Jones. ‘Even positive change is stressful as we have to adjust to it, we have to learn new things, we have to keep up.’ 

Then you add the fact that it’s an international city into the mix. ‘Many people come here and they’re away from their natural support network. You have to deal with things that are wonderful but also challenging – like cross cultural relationships.’ Amongst many of the couples that CCS’s counselling department sees, Jones notes that there are a lot of cross-cultural relationships. ‘They bring so much beauty and diversity to the family, but also involve learning to communicate and work around cultural nuances,’ and the same goes for workplace relationships. For whatever you’re working through, Jones emphasises that there are resources. ‘All of us at some point suffer from anxiety, depression, a difficult relationship or these types of things. It’s important for us to know there is support.’ She also reminds us that professional help doesn’t have to be tied to a diagnosed illness or major crisis. ‘People come in for personal development of all sorts... Anybody can go to counselling and it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.’

📍CCS Counselling has three centres across Shanghai and currently offers services in ten languages. For more information, visit communitycentershanghai.com or email [e-mail].

On seeking professional help

George Hu

Section Chief of Mental Health at Shanghai United Family Pudong Hospital and VP of SIMHA

Whatever your motivation is for talking to a therapist, for many people the big questions are the same: what should you expect and where do you even start? 

George Hu explains that to get the most out of therapy, you have to be open to the process – and aware that it is a process.

Most of the time, mental health is not a 1 + 2 = 3 equation. ‘Unlike a football coach telling you what you’re doing right or wrong, [therapy is] a process of discovery. We’re in conversation, asking you to tell us what your life is like now, what brings you here, what kind of change you’re hoping to achieve, and then we work together towards your goal.’

‘It’s very rare for most people to have space in their lives where they can say almost anything and have it be completely safe and confidential,’ says Hu. However, therapists are, ‘legally and ethically bound to confidentiality which can be extremely freeing for folks.’ Except for the rare legal exceptions, you know whatever you say stays in the room. ‘Another party to offer perspective and to ask questions – combined with that safe space – [can help] people motivate their own change.’

There’s also the technical side of things: what sort of professional are you looking for and how do you know they’re properly licensed? This is where resources like Shanghai International Mental Health Association (SIMHA) come in handy. 

Hosting profiles of therapists across multiple disciplines, SIMHA is often used as a referral resource. ‘It can be really daunting for folks unfamiliar to the field to figure out what [all the licenses] mean, especially if you’re not operating in your home country,’ Hu explains. To help combat this, SIMHA vets the credentials of its members.

When it comes to finding a therapist who works for you he highlights, ‘It’s extremely normal to shop around. It’s normal to try out several different people to see what style or personality fits.’ As with all relationships, it can take time to find something that feels right.

To take steps towards normalising mental health issues, we need to keep talking. ‘We don’t pass judgement on folks suffering from the flu or chickenpox, and we shouldn’t pass judgement on people struggling with mood issues or having a hard time adjusting. We need to push forward the conversation so [as a society] we can get to a place where folks can openly talk about their struggles without fear of reprisal or social judgement,’ Hu concludes. In an environment where people feel comfortable asking for help, ‘the earlier we can intervene and take steps to help people feel better.’

📍Visit s-imha.com to find and book appointments with over 40 therapists.

📍Visit shanghai.ufh.com.cn to find out more about Shanghai United Family Hospital’s mental health services, currently available in English, Mandarin and German.

On raising awareness

Coreene Horenko

Executive Director of Lifeline

‘It’s often considered that mental health is not as important as physical health,’ explains Lifeline’s Coreene Horenko. ‘However, the research shows this is far from true... Mental health is crucial to overall health and wellbeing.’ One of the challenges we face as a society is raising awareness of that.

‘Loneliness, isolation, lack of a support network... Many people struggle with daily life, but they don’t talk about it,’ says Horenko. ‘They feel stigmatised and judged. They suffer alone and [believe] that there’s no one else who understands them.’ These are all issues that she says are perpetuated by a lack of knowledge about services actually available as well as, for many people, a lack of affordable access to services.

This is where Lifeline comes in. A free English-speaking helpline service, Lifeline offers non-judgemental and confidential emotional support both over the phone and via online chat across China. On top of this, Lifeline hosts workshops, presentations and other events with the aim of educating and building up a community that understands the importance of self-care and looking out for each other. ‘We believe very strongly in the power of fighting the stigma, in letting people know it’s okay not to be okay and it’s important to talk about it.’

One of Lifeline’s annual events Nourish – Picnic for Life is returning around World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10) to raise awareness of mental health issues particularly amongst the city’s chef and bartender community. ‘The industry struggles with working horrendously long hours [and] we know that many people – along with the general community – can struggle with alcohol and substance abuse,’ says Horenko. ‘So we wanted to find a way to reach out to let them know that support is available.’ 

But whatever the cause, as Horenko summarises, ‘Really the key part of Lifeline’s community awareness building is that we’re trying to reach people before they find themselves in a very difficult situation or before they may even think of suicide. We want them to know the service exists, it’s freely available and they can contact us to tell us what’s going on in their lives and they will be supported. That’s the key work of Lifeline.’ And the more people speak up about it, the faster word will spread. 

📍To talk to someone at Lifeline, call 400 821 1215 or visit lifeline-shanghai.com for online chat, available from 10am-10pm 365 days a year. For Chinese speakers, help is also available at Hopeline; call 400 161 9995.

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