Abstract: ObjectiveTo investigate the economic status of psychiatric patients and their families in Shaoxing area in Zhejiang Province.MethodsA self-edited questionnaire was used to survey the annual income and expenses for medical treatment among psychiatric patients and their families.ResultsThe average annual income of per person in psychiatric family was (3823.07±3354.99) Yuan while average annual income of per psychiatric patient was (1918.20±5188.42) Yuan, which were only 62.3% and 31.2% of the rural controllable annual income, 20.9% and 14.2% of urban controllable annual income in Shaoxing area. In the meantime, 30.43% psychiatric patients did not have any incomes and 47.43% were below 500 Yuan per year. Engel coefficient was (59.65±24.36). The average expense for medical treatment was 1052.54 Yuan per year, which was 54.9% of annual income of the psychiatric patients. In some illness, this rate was as high as 90% or above.ConclusionThe incomes of psychiatric family members and psychiatric patients themselves are much lower than the local average level, while they would be spent more than a half of the income on their medical treatment. Psychiatric patients as well as their family members are the extremely low income and weak social class and need help by the government and society.

Key words: psychopath, individual, family, income