A recent investigation of 126,000 college students from around the country shows that 20 percent suffer from psychological problems. "Depressed" and "sick" are becoming words frequently used by students. At the beginning of the year, an incident involving a senior student from the prestigious Tsinghua University pouring sulphuric acid on a bear at the zoo greatly shocked the nation. People can’t help but ask, "What’s wrong with our college students?"

Actually, mental health clinics for Chinese college students were first instigated by universities in Beijing and Shanghai 20 years ago. However, recently exposed problems have aroused wider concerns about the mental health of college students. Tsinghua University has given 3,000 students a sexual psychology test; the University of Science and Technology of China has established psychological records on students and conducted regular surveys on the status of their mental health; and a newly established College Students Psychological Consultation Committee in north China’s Hebei Province has been carrying out regular research on the fundamental health of college students using various activities.

During a half-month-long Mental Health Festival, currently being held at Peking University, the Psychology Society is holding lectures to educate people on mental health issues. Meanwhile, a "growing up healthy hotline," based on an internationally popular program of peer care, has been put into practice. Trained college students operate the phones to help solve psychological problems facing their peers. A "growing up healthy group" will also begin soon. Group members will help each other to deal with psychological problems in order to reach the common goal of sound mental health.

A psychology clinic has now existed in Peking University’s school hospital for 12 years. However, demands are now outstripping supply. Recent appointments are being scheduled for up to one month after initial contact. According to Dr. Fang Xin, many freshmen register at the hospital and ask doctors to appraise their psychological condition.

Wang Dengfeng, a supervisor of Ph.D students in Peking University’s Psychology Department pointed out that many psychological problems confronting college students focus on issues such as self identity, self worth and interpersonal relations. The overwhelming pressures of study, poor self care and time management problems all influence the moods of students and contribute to their anxieties.

A student majoring in science spent all his time studying, but only barely passed his exams. In contrast, his roommate easily achieved high scores in his exams and full marks in a TOEFL test. He feels incredibly inferior in the face of such huge differences.

“Society as a whole is responsible for the psychological problems of its young people," said Dr. Fang Xin who has specialized in psychotherapy for 13 years. "China has been experiencing great changes in recent years. While feeling the pressures of rapid development, some people feel unable to handle their own lives, resulting in high levels of anxiety."

"In some cases pressure on students comes from their parents," said Dr. Fang, "Due to family planning policies most students are now single children and, as a result, their parents place great expectations on them. Such excessive love is counterproductive to the healthy development of their children."

Society should join together in addressing the issues of mental health facing college student. "It will be a long and difficult procedure," said Dr. Fang.

Some experts say China’s mental health service is still in its infancy and that the number and quality of practitioners are inadequate. Psychology clinics are common overseas, and psychotherapists are specially trained and required to obtain licenses through examinations before becoming practitioners. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, there is at least one professional psychotherapist for every 1,000 people.

It is reported that the Ministry of Labor and Personnel has published Professional Standards for Psychotherapist in order to regulate the quality of psychotherapy in China.

(china.org.cn translated by Wang Qian, December 31, 2002)