China's Invisible People: Those With Mental Illness

In 2009, it was reported that well over 100 million people in China were living with a mental illness‬. Even more shocking is that less than 20% of these individuals receive appropriate treatment. As photographer Yuyang Liu points out, mental healthcare in China is extremely lacking and these individuals and their needs often go ignored by the government. What's more is that those with mental health issues are often stigmatized as they are considered "monsters" by many. As part of his photo series, "At Home With Mental Illness", Liu "went to two cities in the Guangdong province and documented the daily lives of six families struggling with mental health patients."

His goal of the project was to "capture both the good and the bad: photos of children struggling with mentally ill parents, young adults trapped at home and an incredible sense of familial love and support. "I don't think people realize the efforts that family members try to [put in] to take care the patient." During the project, Liu's own perspective on those affected by psychiatric illnesses evolved, and now he hopes to use his photos to change others' perspective on mental illness and create a movement to better recognize and support these individuals.

You can see the entire photo series, and learn more about the project here:
http://www.yuyangliu.com/singles/portfolio/at-home-with-mental-illness/
http://www.npr.org/…/theyre-invisible-in-china-portraits-of…

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