In recent days, the ministry of education and 17 other departments have jointly issued a special action plan for the comprehensive improvement and improvement of mental health of new age students (2023-2025) (hereinafter referred to as the action plan). The head of the department of physical health and arts education of the ministry of education responded to questions from journalists regarding the plan of action. Let's see..
I. What is the background to the plan of action
Response: in recent years, mental health issues have emerged as a social challenge that is prevalent in all countries of the world. The country is no exception, as these mental health problems have gradually expanded from adult and occupational groups to the group of primary and secondary students, with a trend towards “lower age”. Strengthening mental health education for adolescents has now become a consensus across society. Since its eighteenth anniversary, the party's centre, centred on comrade xi jinping, has given high priority to and taken care of the mental health and development of students at large, and has proposed in its 20 major reports “to focus on mental health and hygiene”. The central leadership group on education has conducted thematic research on the mental health of students。
The party group of the ministry of education attaches great importance to further follow-up of the party's central and state council decision-making deployments, working with the relevant departments, such as the health and health commission, to promote the mental health of students. In recent years, successive policy documents have been issued, such as the health china action programme - program of action for mental health of children and adolescents (2019-2022), circular on strengthening the management of mental health management of students, the guide to education for life safety and health in primary and secondary school curriculum, and the programme for the implementation of prevention and control of mental health problems in the context of the new crown virus epidemic. In 2023, special initiatives to promote mental health among students were focused on promoting healthy growth。
Locally and in schools actively explore the promotion of mental health among students, enrich mental health education, conduct mental health assessments and promote co-ordination and home-based communication. However, as a result of the three-year new epidemic, the mental health problems of students are becoming more and more prominent, and health education, the teacher workforce and the co-motivation mechanism at home need to be strengthened. In order to effectively address these issues, it is necessary to study the development of a plan of action, to adhere to a problem-oriented and systemic approach, to integrate efforts and elements, to promote the mental health of students in a comprehensive manner, to further improve the system of mental health work for students in health education, monitoring early warning, counselling services, intervention in dealing with the “four ones”, and to improve the mental health work patterns of students in schools, families, society and related sectors。
Please outline the process of developing the action plan
The process of developing the plan of action was based on the principles of situational mapping, mapping, broad-based, targeted and deliberate decision-making, and went through four stages:
(i) conducting research and studies. In order to obtain a comprehensive picture of the state, situation and prominence of mental health work among students throughout the country, since august 2021 a series of mental health monitoring and prevention studies have been organized for students and students at all levels, research on mental health levels and factors affecting students and students at all levels, focusing on depression, depression and anxiety, and monitoring mental health monitoring by the state of compulsory quality of education。
(ii) study the drafting of manuscripts. Based on the findings of the study and the work initiatives, experiences and practices that have been put forward in various regions, the guiding principles, working principles, work objectives, work initiatives and safeguards have been further clarified on the basis of adherence to issues, objectives and results orientation。
(iii) organizing expert presentations. Several student mental health symposiums were held, inviting the relevant departments, such as the health and health commission, the college of secondary education and academic experts in the field of education, such as beijing university, the people's university of china and beijing teachers ' university, to study the situation of mental health problems, particularly depression, among our students. (c) to hear the relevant expert opinions of the national specialist steering committee for mental health education of students in primary and secondary schools and the steering committee for the teaching of specialized psychology in higher education。
(iv) extensive sectoral consultation. The text was further revised and refined on the basis of careful research and the full incorporation of the views of all parties, in consultation with the supreme people's procuratorate, the central communications department, the central network office, the ministry of science and technology, the ministry of public security, the ministry of civil affairs, the ministry of finance and the health and health commission。
Iii. What is the overall requirement of the plan of action
Response: in the philosophy of guidance. Guided by xi jinping's new-era chinese socialist philosophy, the party's educational policy is being fully implemented. It is committed to the fundamental tasks of the liddh people. It upholds the concept of health-first education. It effectively places mental health in the forefront. It integrates policies and systems, disciplines and talents, technologies and the environment. It is also integrated into all school and university curricula. It cuts across schools, families and societies. It fosters life-loving, self-esteem and self-confidence, equity, optimism and commitment. It promotes the harmonious development of students' intellectual and moral qualities, scientific and cultural qualities and the quality of physical and mental health. It fosters the development of a new generation that is responsible for national renewal。
On basic principles. The first is to insist on comprehensive development. To improve the education system for comprehensive training, to promote educational evaluation reform, to maintain consistency between learning and the improvement of the overall quality, and to prepare socialist builders and successors for the full development of the moral and intellectual well-being. Two is health first. To make health a prerequisite and basis for the full development of students, to follow the pattern of student development, to combine the resolution of student psychological problems with the solution of the practical problems of student development, to use mental health work as an important indicator of the level of educational development, school management capacity and quality of talent development, and to promote the physical and mental health of students. Third is to insist on capacity enhancement. (c) to coordinate the building of teachers, teaching materials, curricula, disciplines, professions, etc., to strengthen the mental health work system for students, to strengthen mental health education for students in all its aspects, to improve the preventive and monitoring mechanisms for mental health problems, to intervene proactively and to enhance the scientific, targeted and effective mental health work of students. Fourth is adherence to systemic governance. The development of multi-sectoral linkages and mechanisms for child-rearing in schools, families and societies, focusing on the core elements, critical areas and focus points that affect the mental health of students, filling boards, strengths and weaknesses, and systematic strengthening of mental health work for students。
In terms of work objectives, by 2025, 95 per cent of schools with specialized (and part-time) mental health education teachers and 60 per cent of home-based education and guidance services were providing mental health education. The identification of these two objectives takes full account of the current state of work and the prospects for a more robust approach. It is estimated that two objectives will be achieved on schedule。
Iv. How does the plan of action give effect to moral and physical integrity and promote the mental health of students
Response: the plan of action proposes to promote mental health along with five children. One is moral care, the education of students in mental health is integrated throughout the whole process of german policy, into educational teaching, management services and student development, and into the “three-child” paradigm. The second is to optimize the content and manner of teaching and learning in a spirit of wisdom and to effectively reduce the operational and out-of-school training burdens of students in compulsory education. In the teaching of subjects, teachers focus on the mental health of students. Thirdly, it plays a strong role in regulating emotional and stress-resilient sports, implements school physical education and physical education, opens up good physical education and health classes and supports school coverage and quality after-school physical education. The fourth is the promotion of a spirit of beauty and a warm heart, the implementation of the school programme for the development of nutrients, and the wide-ranging, diverse, informative and active practice of beauty. Five is to enrich and expand the way in which labour education is implemented so that students can practice, sweat and sharpen their will。
V. What are the requirements of the plan of action for strengthening mental health education
Response: the first is a course on mental health. Mental health education is provided in primary and secondary schools in conjunction with relevant curricula. In principle, two credits (32-36 hours) should be set aside for compulsory mental health courses in general higher education institutions, and more varied and targeted mental health electives may be offered in qualified higher education institutions. Child-care institutions should take into account the physical and psychological characteristics of the child, create a scene of activity and develop positive psychological qualities. Second is the role of classroom teaching. (c) pay attention to the individual differences among students, helping them to acquire mental health knowledge and skills, creating self-help, a sense of help, learning to face difficulties and setbacks in reason and enhancing the quality of mental health. Third, mental health education in all its aspects. The organization prepares books on mental health for primary, secondary and tertiary students, and provides mental health “service packages” such as hands-on guides on common psychological problems for students to groups such as parents, principals, school directors and counsellors. There are multiple channels and forms of mental health education based on key events and time nodes such as the national day for mental health of students in universities and universities, the middle and high examinations. Play the roles of ycl, junior team, etc. To enhance peer support。
Vi. What is the approach proposed in the plan of action for monitoring student mental health
Response: the plan of action proposes to organize the development of a mental health assessment tool that is adapted to the characteristics of children and adolescents in china, and to standardize the selection, monitoring of implementation and application of results. Establishment of specialized institutions for the study and monitoring of mental health education for students at the national level in schools and universities, as well as a comprehensive system for monitoring the mental health status of students. (d) to maintain a preventive approach and to carry out periodic mental health assessments of students. The district education department is to organize a mental health assessment of primary and secondary schools in the region, which will take place at the beginning of the school year, and at least once a school year will be devoted to pupils in the upper grades of primary school, lower secondary school, upper secondary school, secondary vocational school, etc., to guide school scientific norms in the application of the results of the assessment and to create a “one step for life” mental health file. Higher education institutions should conduct a mental health assessment in due course every year after the arrival of a new student, encouraging qualified higher education institutions to increase the frequency and scope of the assessment, scientific analysis, rational application of the results, and the development of disaggregated mental health education programmes。
Vii. What are the approaches proposed in the plan of action to improve psychological early warning interventions
Response: the first is a sound early warning system. The district education sector relies on the establishment of regional psychological counselling centres for primary and secondary students, the regulation of counselling services, and the regular provision of operational guidance, skills training for primary and secondary schools in the region. Primary and secondary schools need to strengthen counselling units for early warning and intervention. Senior high schools and higher education classes are encouraged to explore the placement of psychologists. Higher education institutions are expected to strengthen the psychological counselling services platform and improve the “school-college-class-class-shelter/individual” four-level warning network, with counsellors and school directors visiting student dormitories on a regular basis, and faculties studying students' psychological situation on a regular basis. The second is to optimize collaborative mechanisms. To guide schools to establish sound coordination mechanisms with families, mental health care institutions, maternal and child health-care institutions, etc., in order to improve physical and technical prevention, early detection of serious mental health problems, access to preventive referral services, timely referral, diagnosis and treatment. Re-entry mechanisms for students with mental or mental health problems。
Viii. What are the initiatives of the plan of action to build the psychosocial workforce
Response: the first is to improve the quality of talent development. Improvement of the national standards on the quality of teaching in the psychological sector. - strengthening the establishment of training centres for students in the fields of psychology, applied psychology, social work, etc. The second is full mental health teachers. Colleges of higher education have at least one full-time mental health education teacher per teacher and at least two teachers per school. There is at least one (a) dedicated mental health education teacher per primary and secondary school and a full mental health education teacher with a professional background in psychology is encouraged. Establishment of a system of teacher-training in mental health education, staffed by psychologists at county level. Thirdly, there is open access to teacher development. Organization of the development of professional standards for teachers of mental health education and the development of a system of professional development of teachers that is linked to the system of qualifications of teachers of mental health education and the system of titles of teachers. The evaluation of the title of teacher in mental health education may be included in the thinking, moral teacher series or in a separate evaluation. Vocational skills training for mental health education teachers is conducted on a regular basis. Supporting the participation of social forces and specialized medical institutions in actions to improve teachers ' mental health education capacity, using family schools in collaboration with the psychological care platform, promoting the development and training of teachers ' mental health education learning resources and enhancing teachers ' capacity to detect and deal effectively with mental health problems。
Ix. What are the considerations in the plan of action for conducting research on mental health
Response: the action plan proposes to support national and local priority laboratories for basic, front-line and international research on mental health of students by pooling resources in such disciplines as psychological sciences, brain sciences, artificial intelligence, etc., in response to common psychological problems and psychological disorders. (d) encourage the establishment of student mental health laboratories in institutions of higher education, research institutes, etc., where conditions exist, to carry out research on student mental health. Support was encouraged for the application of the results of mental health research in the areas of mental health education for students, monitoring early warning, counselling services, intervention and disposal。
X. What are the deployments of the action plan to optimize psychosocial services
Response: the first is to upgrade psychosocial services. (c) strengthen the capacity of children's hospitals, psychiatric hospitals and maternal and child health-care institutions for psychological counselling and specialized outpatient care for children, improve the standards of mental health services for children and adolescents in health-care institutions and strengthen integrated supervision. (c) support professional social workers, volunteers, etc. In the development of mental health services for children and adolescents, in collaboration with community psychological services platforms. The hotline is widely disseminated to children and adolescents and calls are encouraged when needed. Second is the strengthening of family education guidance services. Organization of parent schools or web-based family education guidance platforms to promote community-based family education guidance services to guide parents to the mental health of their children and to develop scientific parenting. Parents receive at least one mental health education per year from parent schools or family education guidance services. Thirdly, the protection of minors should be strengthened. (c) to provide guidance to strengthen local centres for the mental health and development of minors, and to expand their services and capacities. (c) to promote the establishment of “one-stop” centres for juvenile victims whose functions include the collection of evidence, psychological guidance and physical examination, as well as the comprehensive implementation of “supervisory orders” in the handling of cases involving minors, and the comprehensive implementation of family education. The organization promotes the construction of five-year-old studios, focusing on mental health education for minors。
Xi. What aspects of the plan of action are contributing to a healthy growth environment for students
Response: the first is to regulate the conduct of science outreach, making full use of media platforms and channels such as radio, television and the internet, to develop a wide range of students ' mental health knowledge and prevention of psychological problems, and to promote the practice of student mental health work. The second is to strengthen day-to-day oversight management. (c) the timely detection, clean-up and detection of illegal and harmful information and publications relating to students, with a focus on online games, live broadcasts, short videos, etc., with a view to building a spiritual home on the internet. Comprehensive management of schools and surroundings, internet platforms, etc., for the unbridled marketing of foods, toys, etc., which are harmful to the physical and mental health of minors。
Xii. How can the plan of action be followed up
Response: one is to strengthen organizational leadership. (c) include the mental health of students in the evaluation of the performance of the educational responsibilities of the provincial people's governments, in the overall planning for school reform and development, in the talent development system and in the system of supervisory evaluation indicators, as an important element of the annual evaluation of the level of schooling at all levels and in the evaluation of the leadership class. Establishment of a national advisory committee on mental health for students. The second is to secure funding. (c) strengthen its efforts to integrate and optimize expenditure structures and ensure greater financial security for the mental health of students. Schools should include the financial requirements in their budgets to meet the mental health needs of students. (c) develop multi-channel input mechanisms to encourage social forces to support the development of mental health services for students. The third is to foster replication. Construction of a student mental health education studio with a headmaster, and exchange of student mental health education and selection of excellent cases. Supporting regions and schools in a position to do so to innovate mental health work models for students and explore experiences, leadership and leadership。
