Strengthening out-of-school services and guidance for adolescents' mental health was selected as one of 10 important livelihood issues in Guangzhou in 2024, which were made public on Jan 18.

 "An excellent service support system is of vital importance to students' mental health," said Chen Wu, principal of the Longkou West Primary School in Guangzhou's Tianhe district and a deputy to the fourth session of the 16th Guangzhou Municipal People's Congress that kicked off on Jan 15.

She believes that families can cooperate with schools and communities to build networks to improve children's mental health.

Parents should establish good communication channels and encourage their children to share their feeling and worries, according to Chen. They should also actively participate in mental health courses offered by schools and communities in order to better understand and respond to their children's psychological needs.

In addition, every primary and secondary school should have full-time psychology teachers and counseling rooms.

"Students who are found to have mental health problems at school will be reported to neighborhood and community leaders, who can arrange for professionals to conduct regular counseling," Chen added.

Free mental health assistance centers can also be set up in neighborhoods, while green channels should be opened for students in the psychiatric departments of third-grade hospitals.