Yang Lei has been a psychiatrist in a Beijing hospital for seven years.

When he first started out, most of the patients suffering from depression who came to him were suicidal or had very serious sleeping problems; but nowadays there are more people who come to him for advice. "People are more interested in keeping their mental health nowadays," he says.

However, Yang believes that many people with depression are still deterred from turning to a psychiatrist.

"Many don't realize that they have depression. Even if they do, they probably think that going to a psychiatrist is a disgrace," Yang explained. "There are patients who come to me and are very worried that their medical record may be exposed and cost them their job.

"Sometimes people with depression are judged morally and regarded as lacking willpower. But depression is a kind of disease. It's out of a patient's control," said Yang, who provides examinations and medications for people with depression.

Wang Shaoli, vice-president of the Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, which specializes in psychiatry, believes that apart from medication, psychological counseling is important in treating depression.

"The cause of mental problems is complicated. Medication only relieves the symptoms, and its efficacy will hardly last if the patient doesn't get counseling to face and solve the problems in his mind," Wang said.

Yang agrees. "Evidence has shown that cognitive and behavioral therapy helps treating depression, especially for minor cases."

China has included anti-depressant drugs, such as fluoxetine and amitriptyline in the medical insurance scheme, so their purchase can be partly covered by insurance.

There are also public hospitals offering reimbursable psychological counseling in Beijing, whose charges have been set at a maximum of 60 yuan ($9.5) an hour by the city's Commission of Development and Reform.

However, Bai Xiaoli, a neurological and psychological expert in the Beijing Friendship Hospital, regards the price as "set in the 1980s," while "(private) professional psychological counseling services in the city cost from 300 yuan to 2,000 yuan an hour."

Bai said her routine counseling lasts about half an hour every time and costs 30 yuan, but "I only offer this kind of counseling to patients who come to me for the first time."

She explained that if the outpatients need further psychological counseling, they can choose special counseling at the hospital, which costs at most 500 yuan an hour and is not covered by the medical insurance scheme.

In contrast to the low-price counseling that public hospitals offer, the true market price, which could cost thousands, may keep many would-be customers away," Bai said. "People don't have so much money for this."

Zhang Xiaomei, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference made a proposal in March, suggesting that government should study the feasibility of including more psychological counseling in the scheme, for the price charged "makes it unaffordable for most people."

On the other hand, Zhang also suggests that government strengthen its supervision of the market for psychological counseling, saying "(the government should) regulate its service and fees charged."

"I don't want to judge the price they tag," Wang said, "but does every one of these private clinics accomplish what they advertise? We should first check out if they can solve problems as they claim. Price issue comes second."

Bai also pointed out that there are counselors who violate the process of therapy and prolong the course to get more money.

A 24-year-old woman surnamed Zhao in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, was diagnosed with depression in 2011.

"We haven't found reliable and professional counseling clinics here, and I was told many such clinics are liars," Zhao said.

That's why one of her friends introduced her to a psychologist professor who does part time counseling.

"He is very nice, but I don't think it worked out," said Zhao, whose recovering is progressing well.

"If I had this problem again, I would first choose medication, then try some professional counseling," Zhao said. "Though they all have their psychological counselor certificate, I am a little worried if the clinics here can do a professional job."