Objective To understand the current status of psychotherapy and counseling resources in mental health institutions in Chinese mainland, and provide a reference for the formulation of relevant policies.

Methods From May to June 2021, the National Mental Health Program Office conducted a resource survey using a self-designed questionnaire on 3 833 institutions providing psychotherapy/counseling services across all 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in Chinese mainland. The data were collected and summarized by mental health program offices at all levels in each region and reported to the National Mental Health Program Office.

Results Nationwide, 64.56% of mental health institutions provided psychotherapy/counseling services, with 65.24% of psychiatric specialty hospitals and 69.44% of psychiatric (psychological) departments in general hospitals offering these services. Among the mental health institutions providing psychotherapy/counseling services, 52.54% had independent departments undertaking these services. Psychiatrists accounted for the largest proportion (65.61%) of the personnel providing psychotherapy/counseling services. The quantity of psychotherapy/counseling service resources (1 663 institutions and 13 061 personnel) and the number of service providers per unit land area (122.14 per 10,000 square kilometers) in mental health institutions in eastern China were higher than those in central (1 022 institutions, 9 064 personnel, and 53.63 per 10 000 square kilometers) and western regions (1 148 institutions, 9 259 personnel, and 13.52 per 10 000 square kilometers).

Conclusion In recent years, the number of mental health institutions providing psychotherapy/counseling services has increased significantly. However, the coverage and distribution of resources across eastern, central, and western regions remain uneven, requiring further improvement.