Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Psychology in China grassroots hospital: roles and challenges

• Published in: DISCOVER SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH
• Main Authors: Han, Yao Song; Chen, Xin Wee; Saw, Jo Anne
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: SPRINGERNATURE 2024
• Subjects: Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Biomedical Social Sciences
• Online Access: https://www-webofscience-com.uitm.idm.oclc.org/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001389255900001
• ISSN: 2731-0469
• DOI: 10.1007/s44155-024-00143-8

This article aims to explore the role and challenges of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Psychology in grassroots hospitals in China. This paper began by providing background information on Chinese medical psychology and defining the concept of TCM Psychology. Subsequently, it reviewed the developmental history of TCM Psychology, and discussed the role of TCM Psychology in grassroots hospitals. Building upon this foundation, the paper analyzed the challenges faced by TCM Psychology in grassroots hospitals in China. These challenges included mental health stigma that acted as a barrier for health/help seeking, low awareness regarding the role or effectiveness of integrated medicine in mental health treatment, the limitation of single treatment methods in guaranteeing long-term therapeutic effects, and the challenge of varying educational backgrounds among physicians in primary medical and health care institution, leading to different understandings of mental illness. These challenges not only affected the efficiency of TCM Psychomedicine, but also had negative implications for the mental health of grassroots patients. Therefore, this paper calls for increased support and training for TCM Psychology, as well as enhanced promotion of integrated medicine in mental health treatment, to enhance their role and effectiveness in grassroots hospitals services.