Mental Health and Young People’s Tarot Cards Using in Contemporary China

Abstract

With the rapid social changes and increasing competition in contemporaryurban China, young people are facing continuous psychological pressure in terms of academics, careers and interpersonal relationships. Despite the increasing attention of mental health issues, the utilization rate of formal psychological services is still low. Social prejudices and practical obstacles prevent many young people in a state of mild anxiety or confusion from entering the medical system. Against this background, tarot has gradually become a widely used psychological support method. This study focuses on the following question: Why do young people choose tarot cards in the face of uncertainty? How do they understand the "approximation" of Tarot cards? What role do tarot cards play in practical application? This study adopts qualitative research methods to conduct semi-structured in- depth interviews in Shanghai and Shenzhen from May to August 2025. A total of 30 participants were interviewed, including tarot users and practitioners, and analyzed in combination with limited on-site observation and online text materials. The study focuses on the mental state changes of participants before and after the interpretation of the Tarot card, their understanding of zhun, and how they compare Tarot cards with psychological counseling. The study shows that young people choose tarot cards not out of firm belief in future predictions, but to cope with uncertainty and hesitation, hoping to gain external perspectives and emotional buffers. Tarot interpretation often brings temporary release and allows participants to temporarily get rid of repeated speculation and inner conflicts. At the same time, their perception of zhun mainly comes from the fit between interpretation and personal experience, rather than the verification of future results. During the interaction, users will be selective in the reception of the section that is congruent with its own experience and rethink the situation at hand by reflection. Overall, the use of tarot cards cannot substitute psychotherapy or eliminate the cause of structural stress, but, in its own ways, gives a comparatively less stressful and less stigmatised environment for young people who find themselves in constant confusion and stress. Between formal psychological services and personal troubles, tarot has become a practical support channel to help young people maintain their sense of social identity and relieve emotional pressure