The Chinese translation of the ICD-10 was seen as linguistically complicated, containing very long sentences, and awkward terms and syntax leading to lack of clarity in interpretation.
Although also found in the ICD, its diagnosis takes a particular form in China, called 'shenjing shuairuo', which emphasizes somatic (bodily) complaints as well as fatigue or depressed feelings.
Neurasthenia is a less stigmatizing diagnosis than depression in China, being conceptually distinct from psychiatric labels, and is said to fit well with a tendency to express emotional issues in somatic terms.
The concept of neurasthenia as a nervous system disorder is also said to fit well with the traditional Chinese epistemology of disease causation on the basis of disharmony of Zungfu vital organs and imbalance of qi.
Zou huo ru mo (走火入魔) or "qigong deviation" (氣功偏差) is a mental condition characterized by the perception that there is an uncontrolled flow of qi in the body through incorrect cultivation practices including meditation.