Building an integrated mental health service system for university students: CPPCC member

Chongqing - Gao Xinbo, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the President of Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications (CQUPT), has brought a proposal related to youth mental health to this year's Two Sessions.

According to the report Mental Health Status and Needs of College Students in 2020, 18.5% of Chinese college students tend towards depression, 4.2% tend to have a high risk of depression, and 8.4% tend towards anxiety.

Gao believes that mental health issues must be intervened from a young age so that children can actively seek help when encountering psychological problems.

In his opinion, colleges and universities in the new era should focus on students' mental health to cultivate talents with overall moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic development. Gao insists an unhealthy psychological state is not conducive to the growth of talents.

Gao said the causes and manifestations of mental health problems differ in college, primary, and secondary school stages.

For example, elementary school children may face school bullying, junior high school students may encounter puppy love problems, high school students may experience adolescent rebellion, and college students may face academic and employment pressure. These problems can manifest in different ways, such as depression, paranoia, and antagonism toward society.

To build an integrated mental health service system for college and university students, Gao recommends constructing a specialized service team to mobilize schools, families, hospitals, and the government to form a matrix linkage mechanism for timely intervention. He emphasizes the need to intervene early and address mental health issues at different stages of development.

Gao believes that an integrated mental health education program should be constructed for students from elementary school to university. He also emphasizes the importance of maintaining close communication with students for academic staff.

For example, lunch meetings, book club, the first class of the school year, and library talk are all important ways to understand students' psychological condition.

Consulting with relevant departments and educational psychologists also remains critical to better understanding students' inner worlds.

With the construction of an integrated mental health service system for college and university students, Gao hopes to address mental health issues and cultivate a healthy environment for students to grow and develop.