In China’s fierce race for success, mental health struggles are starting earlier
Moon Chen stared down at her textbook, struggling to make sense of the words on the page. The 15-year-old felt a suffocating weight press into her chest, while her heart fluttered erratically. Chen’s mother rushed her to a cardiologist – only to be told that she should see a psychiatrist instead. Chen, now in higher secondary school in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, vividly recalls…
In China, early signs of mental health struggles are becoming increasingly common among younger generations, according to experts. The pressure to succeed academically is a significant factor in this growing mental strain. A nationwide survey conducted by Beijing Anding Hospital found that 17.5% of Chinese children and adolescents suffer from mental disorders, with anxiety and depressive disorders being the most prevalent. This figure may be an underestimate, as it only included school-going children aged six to 16.
A 2022 report by the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed that 14.8% of surveyed adolescents showed varying degrees of depression risk, a rate higher than that of adults. Another report found that roughly 30% of surveyed junior high students reported depressive symptoms, a sharp increase from about 10% among primary school pupils. For senior high students, the figure climbed to nearly 40%.
Psychologists attribute the surge in mental health issues among Chinese youth to a combination of structural forces, including intensified educational competition, the pervasive presence of digital media, changes in family structures, and broader uncertainty about meaning resulting from rapid social transitions. The country's high-stakes academic system, which guarantees education only through junior high, has led many families to view vocational school as a life-ruining failure.
This intense competition creates panic that extends beyond college entrance exams and into the lives of teenagers, who are going through significant physical and hormonal changes.
In addition to academic pressure, the rapid growth in college enrollment and the challenging job market for graduates have contributed to heightened stress levels among Chinese youth. The urban youth unemployment rate for those aged 16 to 24 has remained around 18% in recent months, reaching 18.9% in August 2022, the worst reading in a year.
The digital media landscape further complicates the situation, with video games, social media, and AI-generated microdramas distracting adolescents from physical exercise and face-to-face interactions, which are crucial for their development. When deprived of real-life connection, these young people turn to screens for temporary emotional relief, but this often exacerbates their isolation.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
