China aims to increase mental health facilities in schools by 2025

Ninety-five percent of schools and universities in China are to be equipped with psychology teachers by 2025, as the country takes more steps to strengthen mental health education of students, a new guideline said on Thursday.

The guideline, jointly issued by the Ministry of Education and 16 other departments, said mental health should be given more attention, and mental health education should be included at all levels of schooling, with efforts made from schools, families and society as a whole.

Concerted efforts are required to cultivate students to form good psychological qualities such as an appreciation for life, self-esteem, self-confidence, optimism and tenacity, the guideline said.

Primary and secondary schools are encouraged to incorporate psychology courses into other subjects, while universities need to open compulsory courses on psychological health.

County-level education authorities need to conduct psychological evaluations on senior grades of primary school students, middle and high school students and secondary vocational school students at least once a year, and establish mental health record on all students.

Universities should also conduct mental evaluation on all fresh students, and those who need it can increase the frequency of their evaluations, while also making sure the information stays safe and private.

County-level education authorities are responsible to open up psychological counseling centers for primary and secondary school students. Universities need to strengthen their psychological counseling services and improve the warning system consisting of the university, school, class, and individual student.

Special attention should be paid to students who are facing too much academic pressure and increasing pressure to find jobs, financial difficulties, personal relationships, family crisis' and bullying.

Education authorities need to work with health, cyberspace affairs and public security authorities to identify students with serious mental health problems as early as possible, prevent incidents of self-harming or harming others through online and offline warning mechanisms, and help the students seek early relevant treatment.