Evolution and development of mental health policies for children and adolescents in China

GUO Xiaoting; YANG Juan; DANG Jiajia; LI Jiaxin; CAI Shan; HUANG Tianyu; SUN Ziyue; ZHANG Yihang; YANG Ruolan; SONG Yi

doi:10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025227

Volume 46 Issue 9

Sep. 2025

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Article Navigation > CHINESE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH > 2025 > 46(9): 1246-1251

GUO Xiaoting, YANG Juan, DANG Jiajia, LI Jiaxin, CAI Shan, HUANG Tianyu, SUN Ziyue, ZHANG Yihang, YANG Ruolan, SONG Yi. Evolution and development of mental health policies for children and adolescents in China[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, 2025, 46(9): 1246-1251. doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025227

Citation:

GUO Xiaoting, YANG Juan, DANG Jiajia, LI Jiaxin, CAI Shan, HUANG Tianyu, SUN Ziyue, ZHANG Yihang, YANG Ruolan, SONG Yi. Evolution and development of mental health policies for children and adolescents in China[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, 2025, 46(9): 1246-1251. doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025227

Citation:

GUO Xiaoting, YANG Juan, DANG Jiajia, LI Jiaxin, CAI Shan, HUANG Tianyu, SUN Ziyue, ZHANG Yihang, YANG Ruolan, SONG Yi. Evolution and development of mental health policies for children and adolescents in China[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, 2025, 46(9): 1246-1251. doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025227

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Evolution and development of mental health policies for children and adolescents in China

doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025227

1.
School of Public Health/Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China

Received Date: 2025-05-06
Rev Recd Date: 2025-05-28

Available Online: 2025-10-10

Publish Date: 2025-09-25

Abstract

Abstract

Objective To systematically review the development and changes in mental health policies within the National Outline for Children's Development in China from 1992 to 2030, providing a reference basis for future formulation of mental health policies among children and adolescent in China. Methods Based on the four editions of the National Outline for Children's Development in China across different periods from 1992 to 2030, word frequency analysis was used to reveal shifts in policy priorities, and an internationally recognized framework for adolescent health policy analysis was applied to conduct a textual review. Results Word frequency analysis revealed that the term "psychological" appeared 6 times in the National Outline for Children's Development in China (2001-2010) but increased to 20 times in the National Outline for Children's Development in China (2021-2030) (abbreviated as the National Outline of 2021), while the term "health" rose from 4 times in the National Outline for Children's Development Plan in China in the 1990s to 68 times in the National Outline of 2021. The scope of mental health policy interventions expanded to encompass five key areas: health, safety, education, welfare and legal protection. Textual analysis highlighted that the policies of the National Outline for Children's Development in China were demand-driven, prioritized vulnerable groups and continuously broadened their coverage, emphasizing sustainability and appropriateness, and monitoring/evaluation mechanisms. By 2023, 42.3% of primary schools and 64.8% of secondary schools employed full-time mental health education teachers. However, the National Outline for Children's Development in China lacked direct evidence of children and adolescents participation in policy formulation, and publicly available mental health data disaggregated by age and gender remained limited. Conclusion Mental health policies of children and adolescents in China have evolved from nonexistence to gradual refinement, yet institutionalized channels for youth involvement in policy development and evaluation remain insufficient, and transparency in age- and gender-specific mental health data needs improvement.
- Mental health,
- Health policy,
- Child,
- Adolescent

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References(33)

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