China's Disturbing Trend of Forced Psychiatric Hospitalization for Dissenters

Sun Oct 19 2025 00:33:46 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A troubling resurgence in involuntary psychiatric treatment for political dissenters in China raises serious human rights concerns.

Recent investigations reveal a disturbing trend in China where individuals protesting or criticizing the government are being forcibly hospitalized, stripped of their rights, and medicated against their will. The findings expose systemic abuses that undermine both mental health laws and personal freedoms, highlighting significant challenges for activists and citizens standing against authoritarianism.

Zhang Junjie, now living in New Zealand, represents a growing number of individuals who have faced involuntary psychiatric treatment after protesting against the Chinese government. When he protested against strict lockdown measures at 17, he was quickly admitted to a psychiatric hospital, diagnosed with schizophrenia, and subjected to various treatments including medication and restraint. His experience is part of a broader trend, as reported by the BBC, where dissenters are being silenced through mental health interventions.

Many individuals the BBC spoke to reported being administered anti-psychotic medications and even electroconvulsive therapy without their consent, a practice that had seen a decline following the 2013 Mental Health Law designed to protect individuals from such abuses. Nevertheless, according to lawyers, this issue is resurfacing in China, reflecting a systematic approach to quell dissent by detaining "troublemakers" under the guise of mental health treatment.

Another individual, Jie Lijian, recounted a similar ordeal where he was held in a psychiatric facility without consent after protesting for better wages. He detailed the torment of forced medication and ECT, which left him feeling detached from his own body. Both Junjie and Lijian's experiences reveal the troubling consolidation of power by authorities, leveraging mental health arguments to stifle free speech and activism.

Amidst the rising incidents of involuntary hospitalizations, many are left disillusioned by the lack of recourse available through the legal system. Despite efforts to challenge wrongful detainment, the outcomes often favor the authorities, with records indicating that a high percentage of cases related to such issues are dismissed by the courts.

As scrutiny on mental health practices in China grows, the case of Li Yixue, a vlogger who faced hospitalization after alleging police misconduct, illustrates the continuous threat to individuals speaking out against the government. Despite assurances from the Chinese Communist Party regarding citizens' freedoms, systemic abuses persist.

This developing crisis highlights a failure in protecting personal liberties and raises urgent questions regarding the intersection of mental health and political repression in China today.