And its global political influence is still extremely limited. The only sense in which China is a superpower is economic-that is, its economy is already over half the size of the US economy and projected to overtake it around 2018, notwithstanding its reduced growth rate of 7%. But this is overwhelmingly a function of China's huge population.
(Smith, 2006; Shalev, 2008). Emotional and behavioral effects of solitary confinement. The majority of those held in solitary confinement experience adverse emotional effects that can range from acute to chronic, depending on the individual and the length of stay in isolation (Shalev, 2008).
1 There are parallels between the impact of torture and imprisonment on hostages and the impact of domestic violence.  Abused women can develop post-traumatic stress which includes a range of symptoms: agitation and anxiety, depression, panic attacks, trouble sleeping or relaxing, numbness, sense of isolation, nightmares.