In China, illness used to mean only physical problems. Xu herself gives lectures and consultations to the staff of large corporations that are increasingly aware of the dangers inherent in the fast pace of modern life. Even the People's Liberation Army has established a mental illness prevention and control center, also in Nanjing. While more city-dwellers and their employers can afford professional advice, China's villagers lack both the access and the habit of seeking help for problems like the rocketing suicide rate, especially among women. China is responsible for more than 50 percent of female suicides worldwide, though it is home to only 21 percent of the world's women.
Many victims are peasant girls sold into marriage to abusive partners.
Recent surveys on the worsening state of China's mental health make the business prospects of centers like Eve look assured. A survey in February found that more than 20 percent of university students suffer various psychological problems. In a survey of pre-school children in the city of Tianjin last year, the ratio rose to one in three. All rights reserved. Click here to read the latest Wellness stories.