Millions of young people battling depression: survey
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More than 30 million young people are battling depression and fighting behavioral problems, experts said during a youth development forum in Beijing Sunday.
The Xinhua News Agency reported that many youngsters are having difficulty getting along with parents and are pessimistic about their future.
The report, citing a survey conducted by the China Population Communication Center, said 40 percent of university students do not have a plan for the future, while 84 percent of high school students feel depressed and stressed. Nearly 50 percent of primary school students said they feel anger and shame after their parents and teachers express negative opinions of them.
The survey found that most university students said they share a large gap with their parents, and that their parents do not understand them.
The report said change in social structure and industrialization has affected family life significantly, which exert pressure on adolescents.
A growing number of young people are addicted to drugs, the Internet, violence, and some may commit suicide, the report said.
Cui Li, deputy director of the State Population and Family Planning Commission, said at the forum that authorities should focus on taking care of left-behind children and families that have only one child.
Yu Changxue, deputy director of a division under the Ministry of Education, said psychological counseling and sex education would be included in the moral education curriculum.
Schools will be encouraged to provide more extra curricular activities for the healthy development of youngsters, Yu added.
