Anxiety, depression, alcohol and drug use disorder, stigma--
Young people's mental health who will be at the helm
At the fifth meeting of the 13th CPPCC Kunming Municipal Committee this year, the Kunming Municipal Committee of the Democratic Progressive Party submitted a collective proposal to the conference, calling for attention to the problem of a high proportion of depression in high school students, and doing a good job in the prevention and treatment of depression in high school students.
At the "two sessions" in various places this year, the mental health of adolescents has once again become a hot topic of discussion among many delegates.
On September 11, 2020, the official website of the National Health Commission released the "Working Plan for Exploring Special Services for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression". The plan proposes that various high schools and colleges and universities incorporate depression screening into the content of student health examinations and establish student mental health files. Evaluate the mental health of students, and pay special attention to students with abnormal results.
Huang Yueqin, director of the Department of Social Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine of Peking University Sixth Hospital and vice chairman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, believes that 15-18-year-old adolescents are in a period of significant changes in their physical and psychological development. Comparison of the incidence of various psychological problems High, which will affect physical and mental development.
The incidence of anxiety and depression is high, frustration education is necessary
High school students are prone to psychological problems, which has a lot to do with the pressure they face in the college entrance examination.
Huang Yueqin further explained that Chinese parents generally believe that going to college is the only way out, and that they will have no success if they fail to enter college. Under this concept, many high school students have a sharp increase in psychological pressure and are prone to psychological problems such as anxiety and depression.
However, Huang Yueqin also pointed out that it should not be considered that the high school stage is the most prone to psychological problems. "Everyone faces different pressures at different stages of life. Some people become more courageous when faced with pressure. Some people have low stress resistance and high susceptibility to risk factors that lead to psychological problems, so they need special attention."
What kind of people are more prone to psychological problems?
Huang Yueqin told China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily that from the pathogenesis of mental illness, genetic factors play a more important role.
Therefore, people with a family history of mental illness should pay more attention to whether they are at risk.
Stress is also an important predisposing factor for depression and anxiety.
In addition, negative life events have a greater impact on mood. For example, negative life events characterized by loss include loss of feelings, family, marriage, wealth, occupation, relatives, etc.
On February 18, 2019, "The Lancet · Psychiatry" published online the first major results of the "China Mental Hygiene Survey" completed by Professor Huang Yueqin's team in 3 years. The survey is also my country's first nationwide epidemic of mental disorders Study investigation.
Huang Yueqin introduced to reporters that according to the survey results, among the prevalence of various mental disorders, the prevalence of anxiety disorders is the highest, followed by mood disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, mood disorders caused by physical diseases, and physical disorders). Mood disorder caused by).
The same is true for the prevalence of various mental disorders among young people aged 18 to 34.
In response to this phenomenon, Huang Yueqin believes that it is necessary to educate young people about frustration.
"Learn to accept reality and know that things will not be as smooth as you think. Empathy and empathy. If you can't change reality, you must adapt yourself to the environment." In addition, find the right channel. It is also very important to vent your emotions.
"When you are in a bad mood, you can go to chat with a good friend to relieve your stress; when you feel too tired or stressed, you must rest and give yourself a vacation. To accept the reality, believe that there will be a car before the mountain. You must also learn to vent your emotions, relieve stress, and transfer emotions. If you still feel uncomfortable after self-regulation, you must go to a professional institution to seek help from a doctor." Huang Yueqin said.
Alcohol and drug use disorders are prominent among young people
In addition to anxiety disorders and mood disorders, alcohol and drug use disorders are also prominent among young people.
During the national epidemiological survey of mental disorders, Huang Yueqin found that among all age groups, young people aged 18 to 34 have the highest incidence of alcohol and drug use disorders.
She speculates that excessive drinking among young people has a lot to do with rising income levels. “Young people have more disposable income, which can be used to buy more and better wine.” In addition, compared to older people, young people The body is healthier, so there is no restraint when drinking. In addition, the pace of life and work is accelerated, and the psychological pressure increases. It provides a means for young people to release stress.
Huang Yueqin told reporters that drug use disorders mainly involve prescription drugs such as sleeping pills and painkillers.
People who suffer from drug use disorders initially start taking medication because of actual needs such as insomnia or pain.
In the process of drug use, due to the gradual development of drug resistance, the amount of drug used without authorization will eventually lead to psychological and physical dependence on the drug, and even withdrawal will occur once the drug is stopped.
Huang Yueqin believes that the phenomenon of drug use disorder in young people is related to the availability of drugs.
Although the hospital limits the amount of medicine that patients can take each time, patients can still get these prescription drugs by going to different hospitals and asking others to help prescribe the medicine.
Patients with alcohol and drug use disorders should go to specialized hospitals for inpatient treatment and intervention when necessary.
Huang Yueqin explained that behavior modification is one of the methods of intervention, which refers to when a person cannot restrain the urge to do something, to associate it with another thing that makes him feel uncomfortable, such as A person’s alcohol addiction is associated with vomiting, which makes him feel uncomfortable when he thinks of drinking.
"When a person's willpower is not that strong, he needs outside help." Huang Yueqin said.
Stigma is also common in young people
Huang Yueqin introduced that whether it was in the national epidemiological survey of mental disorders or in clinical diagnosis and treatment, it was found that stigma is still a common phenomenon in my country, and it is no exception among young people.
Huang Yueqin once diagnosed and treated a student from a prestigious university. He was suffering from schizophrenia. At first, the condition was not serious, and it could be controlled with drugs, but only occasionally.
This student also knew that he had a problem, but was afraid to tell the school because of his stigma, and only returned to his hometown for hospitalization during the winter and summer vacations each year.
The classmates thought that he had a bad personality, but they didn't expect him to have a mental illness. It was not until later that his illness got worse and made a lot of trouble when he became ill, and everyone realized that he might be sick.
The school found his parents and found out that he was already a confirmed patient with mental illness.
In fact, there are many young people who dare not admit that they are "ill" due to various practical considerations and fears-"workers" are afraid of being dismissed from the company, civil servants are worried about the impact of promotion, and they are clearly entitled to free medical treatment but dare not reimburse , Afraid of being talked about by others.
In Huang Yueqin's view, eliminating the stigma of the whole society is not an easy task, and can only be guided by top-down publicity and education.
Government departments need to increase publicity, adopt multi-directional and multi-channel publicity, and cooperate with various media to disseminate mental health knowledge, improve people's mental health literacy, and create a social atmosphere that focuses on mental health and eliminates discrimination.
Need to improve the mental health service network
Huang Yueqin confessed to reporters that since my country's mental health services are still in the elementary stage, there are still problems in the mental health field of insufficient medical institutions and professionals, uneven distribution of medical resources, and confusion in the psychological counseling system.
Especially in rural areas, many people do not know where to go for consultation or medical treatment even if they feel they have a problem.
Therefore, Huang Yueqin believes that a sound mental health service network is very important.
This network should cover the entire society. Not only should psychological counseling (counseling) rooms be established in schools of all levels and types, but also mental health counseling rooms should be established in all levels of government agencies, enterprises and institutions, and in urban communities and rural areas. Establish a psychological counseling agency.
At the same time, the training of mental health talents should be strengthened, and qualified colleges and universities should be encouraged to open clinical and counseling psychology related majors, and the training of professional talents should be accelerated.
In addition, the mental health service agencies and practitioners should also be regulated.
Relying on expert groups and industry organizations to establish industry regulations and industry self-discipline systems to jointly promote the standardized development of mental health services.
China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Xia Jin Source: China Youth Daily