Family members say “no one will be safe” or “I’ll take the kids and leave” — don’t dismiss this as anger: close relatives can take such a person to the hospital, and police must respond to any emergency call

Registration and consultation fees range from a few dozen to several hundred yuan. Accompanying the person to the hospital takes half a day to a full day. The real challenge is getting them to agree to go.

Article 28(1) of the Mental Health Law provides that, apart from individuals voluntarily seeking diagnosis, close relatives of a person suspected of having a mental disorder may take them to a medical institution for diagnosis. Article 28, Paragraph 2 of the Mental Health Law of China states: "Where a person suspected of having a mental disorder engages in behavior that harms themselves or endangers the safety of others, or where there is a danger of harming themselves or endangering the safety of others, their next of kin, the relevant unit, or the local public security organ shall immediately take measures to stop such behavior and send the person to a medical institution for a diagnosis of mental disorder." The same article also stipulates: "Medical institutions, upon receiving a person suspected of having a mental disorder for diagnosis, shall not refuse to provide a diagnosis." Article 29 requires hospitals to keep such referred persons in the hospital, immediately assign a licensed psychiatrist to perform a diagnosis, and issue a conclusion in a timely manner. Article 30 stipulates that inpatient treatment shall be based on the principle of voluntariness. However, there is one exception: if the diagnostic conclusion indicates a person with a severe mental disorder, and they "have engaged in behavior that endangers the safety of others, or there is a danger of endangering the safety of others." In this category, inpatient treatment shall be implemented without the prerequisite of the individual's consent. Threatening to harm others is itself grounds for directly calling 110. Writing threatening letters, or using other methods to threaten the personal safety of others, may result in detention of up to 5 days or a fine of up to 1,000 yuan. Threatening to commit arson, explosion, or the release of dangerous substances, and thereby disrupting public order, may result in detention of 5 to 10 days, with a possible additional fine of up to 1,000 yuan (Nationwide, China; the Law on Penalties for Administration of Public Security shall come into force on January 1, 2026).

全国人大常委会 (2025). 治安管理处罚法（2025 年修订，第二十九、五十条）. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202506/t20250627_699863.shtml；全国人大常委会 (2012，2018 修正). 精神卫生法（第二十八、二十九、三十、三十五条）. https://www.gov.cn/guoqing/2021-10/29/content_5647635.htm；法国航空事故调查局 BEA (2016). Final Report BEA2015-0125.en: Accident on 24 March 2015 at Prads-Haute-Bléone to the Airbus A320-211 registered D-AIPX operated by Germanwings. https://bea.aero/uploads/tx_elydbrapports/BEA2015-0125.en-LR.pdf

This guidance applies to spouses, parents, and children living in the same household. The phrase “no one will be safe” clearly includes the speaker, and the law grants this right specifically to close relatives — outsiders cannot intervene without police involvement. This rule targets genuine danger signs, not angry remarks during arguments or attempts to force uncooperative family members into treatment. Conversely, Article 35 states that if further evaluation proves the person does not have a serious mental disorder, they must be released from the hospital. When in doubt, call 12356 or 110. If you cannot tell whether someone is thinking of suicide, you can simply ask: asking does not make them more likely to act (Section 1, Item 43: asking people close to you who seem off). The investigation into Germanwings Flight 9525 revealed that authorities and employers could not prevent the co-pilot from flying that day because “neither he nor anyone else — doctors, colleagues, or family — informed them of his condition.” All 150 people on board perished: two pilots, four flight attendants, and 144 passengers. Keeping such risks hidden is never helpful.