People who work in the funeral industry are among the most psychologically distressed groups in China, with close to half of all employees polled suffering from minor to severe mental problems, a report has found.

The report, authored by the 101 Institute of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, a government think tank that specializes in research into funeral affairs, found that only 53 percent of employees in the funeral sector are in a healthy state of mind, with another 21.3 percent of employees in the sector having severe psychological problems.

"The employees are frequently working in distressful situations, including the death and loss of family members and spend long periods exposed to sentiments of sadness and sorrow. That has resulted in the emotional exhaustion of some employees," says the report.