In post-lockdown China, student mental health in focus amid reported jump in suicides

The heightened post-lockdown anxiety has become a matter of central government concern as domestic media report a spate of suicides by young people. It has also led to unprecedented measures by schools and local governments to focus on student mental health - a topic that like suicide has often been taboo in Chinese society. 'There have been some heartbreaking incidents as schools reopened,' Yan Wu, vice mayor of the southern city of Zhuhai, said at China's annual parliamentary meeting last month. 'This highlights the importance and urgency of promoting mental health development in young students,' he said. At the parliamentary meeting, at least four delegates put forward proposals for more attention to be paid to students' psychological needs.