China has been enhancing work on prevention and treatment of depression among students, with recent efforts including screening of the illness during students' heath checks, the Ministry of Education has said.
The ministry's statement was a response to a proposal on depression prevention and treatment among teenagers put forth by the13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, during its fourth plenary session from March 4 to 10 this year.
Wang Feng, director of the Student Development Research Center of the General Education Institute of the Shanghai Academy of Educational Sciences, said all schools in Shanghai have either part-time or full-time psychological teachers to deliver mental health classes, such as how to handle foul emotions, and psychological counselling services.
Meanwhile, students' mental health conditions are tracked.
"When students are enrolled into a new school, they are usually asked to go through some small quizzes to see if they suffer from depression," he said. "If some students show signs of mental disorder, psychological teachers and other experienced teachers communicate with the students to make further assessment."
"For children with obvious symptoms of depression, we contact their families and recommend them to seek professional diagnosis and treatment at mental health hospitals," Wang added.
"We also recommend mental health hotlines, such as 962525 and 12355, for students to seek help if they have emotional problems."