Experts urge focus on adolescent mental health

Officials and experts called for more attention and efforts to address the mental health problems of children and teenagers around the world at an event held in Beijing on Tuesday.

The event was co-hosted by UNICEF China and China's National Center for Mental Health and aims to start conversations among adolescents over mental health issues and reducing related stigmas.

According to the State of the World's Children 2021 report released by UNICEF, almost 46,000 adolescents globally die by suicide each year, and suicide is among the top five causes of death for their age group. More than one in seven adolescents aged 10 to 19 old live with a diagnosed mental disorder.

China share similar challenges among its young people.

Mental health problems mainly have come with China's rapid industrialization and urbanization, said Zheng Yi, a professor from Beijing Anding Hospital at Capital Medical University.

"Children used to hang out and play around in the old days, which is rarely seen in today's society," Zheng said, adding challenges such as limited space for activities, housing problems and left-behind children have been created by unbalanced development.

A study co-authored by Zheng found a 17.5 percent prevalence in mental disorders among Chinese school children and adolescents aged 6 to 16.

A report on Chinese mental health (2019-20) released by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in March showed the detected rate of depression among Chinese adolescents was 24.6 percent, 17.2 percent with mild depression and 7.4 percent severe.

"Mental illness in youth is not confined in one country or culture but a global public health problem and we should pay attention to it," Zheng said.

Zhang Shubin, deputy director of the Mental Health Division of the Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control under the National Health Commission, during his opening speech at the event called on governments at all levels, relevant departments, schools, health institutions, communities, social organizations and other sectors to reinforce cooperation and jointly maintain and promote children and adolescents’ mental health.

Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF Representative to China, called for societies to listen to young people and commit to supporting their psychological well-being.

"Everyone has a role to play in breaking the silence around mental health and reducing stigma," McCaffrey said. "Parents, other caregivers, teachers and public figures need to create an environment where young people feel it’s safe to talk about their mental health."