A DOCTOR from the child and adolescent psychiatry department of Shenzhen Kangning Hospital noted that issues such as anxiety around attending school, depression and parent-child relationship have become key topics during consultations.

Wang Bing, the psychiatrist, suggested that most of children’s psychological barriers are related to various factors. Wang called for society to pay more attention to adolescents’ mental health, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

“I have a lot of stress as the new term has started. I also have to get along with classmates and I feel depressed,” said one of Wang’s patients, a 17-year-old girl identified as Keke.

Keke has always been a good girl in the eyes of her parents and teachers. However, during this summer vacation, her parents and younger sister noticed some changes such as Keke locking herself in a room more often, becoming more irritated and even trying to harm herself.

“She resisted our care and told me to go away. There’s this tension in our family,” Keke’s mother said.

Keke’s younger sister said that Keke became volatile after she was in a relationship. After talking to Keke, Wang found out that she didn’t receive enough attention from her family, so she sought a romantic relationship to satisfy her emotional need.

Keke showed signs of depression from the combination of academic stress and emotional changes from the relationship.

According to a report released this March by the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Science, the depression detection rate among Chinese adolescents last year was 24.6 percent and 7.4 percent for severe depression.

Wang suggested that high school students have a higher depression risk due to heavy academic pressure. He also stated that early psychological intervention and prevention are vital for adolescents’ mental health.

Zhang Bin, another psychiatrist from Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, suggested that mentally strong parents can be helpful for their children’s emotional stability.

On Sunday, World Mental Health Day, Shenzhen launched Mental Health Week. During the event period, Shenzhen will hold lectures for residents to enjoy high-quality psychological services, the Daily reported.

About 94 percent of primary and middle schools across the city have set up rooms for psychological counseling.

As of this September, Shenzhen had a total of 1,740 beds for patients with psychological problems. About 98 percent of residential communities have a center for psychological services, according to the Daily.

(Wang Jingli)