Today (10 October) is a day related to the heart, and today is World Mental Health Day. The reporter learned from the "2021 World Mental Health Day" theme activity sponsored by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission and the Shanghai Disabled Persons' Federation that the newly opened "Shanghai Psychological Hotline 962525" on September 1 has been in trial operation for more than a month, and an average of more than 110 psychological consultation and help calls have been answered every day, and the needs of citizens for psychological assistance have been further relieved.
The theme of this year's World Mental Health Day in China is "The Heart of Youth, the Youth of Youth", which is the third time since World Mental Health Day in 2004 that China has focused on children and adolescents. As a response, Shanghai will use innovative activities such as the exhibition of children's and adolescents' mental health theme art works and the public welfare live broadcast of mental rehabilitation works to arouse the whole society to pay attention to the mental health of children and adolescents and to pay attention to patients with mental illness.
The global situation of adolescent psychological problems is not optimistic
Face up to and solve problems out of the "storm"
As the most important force for social development, children and adolescents represent hope and future. At the same time, childhood and adolescence is also a "stormy" stage, many mental health problems begin in childhood and adolescence, about half of mental health problems will be exposed before the age of 15, and three-quarters of people with mental disorders will first have mental symptoms before the age of 24. Therefore, childhood and adolescence is an important time node for mental health medical experts to advocate the whole life cycle of mental health care.
The current situation of psychological problems among children and adolescents is not optimistic. According to the World Health Organization, 1 billion children worldwide suffer physical and psychological violence; suicide is one of the top five causes of death among adolescents aged 15-19.
About 30 million of the 340 million children and adolescents under the age of 17 in China are plagued by emotional disorders and psychobehavioral problems. In recent years, the number of outpatient clinics in the psychology department of minor psychiatry specialties and general hospitals in China has increased year by year. Adolescent mental health problems not only affect their own health, academics, social skills and development potential, but also extend to adulthood and even lifelong, and ultimately affect the socio-economic and cultural development process, bringing a comprehensive and far-reaching impact on individuals, families and society.
At the scene of the World Mental Health Day activity, Zhang Hao, deputy director of the Municipal Health Commission, called on parents to care about their children's mental health as they do to physical health, create a good family environment for children, and timely support and assist children to seek professional help; call on teenagers to take the initiative to learn mental health knowledge and skills, and bravely speak their hearts; call on the whole society to pay attention to the mental health of children and adolescents, and jointly build a mental health protection network for children and adolescents; and treat all patients with mental disorders equally and eliminate discrimination and prejudice.
On September 1 this year, the first day of primary and secondary school students, under the leadership of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, the "Shanghai Psychological Hotline", a public welfare hotline established and implemented by the Shanghai Mental Health Center and the Shanghai Municipal Health Promotion Center, was opened for trial operation in 962525. The opening of the hotline has been supported by the Municipal Education Commission, the Municipal Communications Administration and other departments, and at the same time, the mental health hotline and mental health professional human resources in various districts have been integrated to escort the mental health of the adolescent population and the general public. The latest statistics show that since the trial run, the "962525" have received an average of more than 110 psychological consultation and help calls per day.
In order to make this psychological hotline more deeply rooted in people's hearts and let more people find it, the logo "Heart Labyrinth" of 962525 also met with the public today. Its main body is a red labyrinth-like "heart" shape, and like a long telephone line, meaning that everyone may encounter difficulties in their lives and fall into a psychological maze, "962525" is the support that helps untie the knot and get out of the maze. Experts hope that everyone can pay attention to mental health, face up to mental illness, actively help themselves, and have the courage to ask for help.
Rehabilitation Stories + Webcast Charity Sale
Let more patients return to the road more steadily
A delicate woven bag, an elegant set of bamboo carvings, a gorgeous abstract painting, each piece wrapped in the recovery journey of a mentally disabled person. This is another special theme activity of this year's Mental Health Day - Green Ribbon "Together" Mental Rehabilitation Products Public Welfare Live Charity Sale, and it is also the first time that the works of patients with mental disorders have entered the public eye in the form of "Rehabilitation Story + Online Live Charity Sale".
In order to let the public have a deeper understanding of the stories of mental rehabilitation, see their efforts, hear their voices, and eliminate prejudice and discrimination, the Shanghai Mental Health Center has joined hands with 16 district-level mental health centers in the city and sunshine heart gardens in various streets and towns to jointly build an online charity sale platform for mental rehabilitation works - "Sweet Home".
"Understand every pain, hear every plea for help, support every love." Xie Bin, secretary of the Party Committee of the Shanghai Mental Health Center and director of the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Prevention and Control Mental Health, said that he believes that it is this concept of "openness, cooperation, tolerance and humanization" that has made Shanghai's mental rehabilitation work always be in a leading position in the country, so that patients with mental disorders have good rehabilitation resources and platforms, and they also have more opportunities to reintegrate into society and rely on themselves.
Wang Aifen, chairman of the Shanghai Disabled Persons' Federation, called on caring people and all sectors of society to have more understanding and respect for people with mental disabilities, so that the road to returning to society for patients with mental disorders can be more stable and go further.
Representatives of the Municipal Health Commission, the Municipal Disabled Persons' Federation, the Shanghai Mental Health Center, the Municipal Association for Science and Technology Science Popularization And other departments jointly launched the "Sweet Home" online mall, and Shanghai's mental rehabilitation work stepped onto a new level.
Pianist Kong Xiangdong appeared in the live broadcast room to help the charity sale, and a number of mental rehabilitation students bravely told their own rehabilitation stories in front of the camera. More than 90 works of mental rehabilitation have attracted attention, and some works have been snatched up as soon as they are on the shelves. Many viewers said that this was the first time that people with mental disorders had gained insight into their own way and seen the other side of them.
An exhibition of works of art on the theme of mental health and spiritual rehabilitation of children and adolescents was also opened on the same day. The public learns about artistic healing and spiritual healing from painting after painting. The exhibition is planned to tour the city, so that more citizens have the opportunity to understand the inner world of mental disorder patients up close.
October is also the month of mental health, and Shanghai 16 District will also carry out a series of theme publicity activities to guide the public to pay attention to the mental health of children and adolescents, and continue to create a good social atmosphere conducive to the mental health of children and adolescents and the rehabilitation and return of patients with mental disorders.
This theme activity was jointly organized by Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Municipal Mental Health Sub-Center for Disease Prevention and Control, and Shanghai Psychological Rehabilitation Association, and is one of the activities of Shanghai Mental Health Center "I do practical things for the masses".
Author: Tang Wenjia Zeng Qingzhi
Editor: Tang Wenjia
Image source: Respondent