Facing struggles

In an interview with Xinhua, Wang Yanan sounded no different than any other energetic freshman in college. But what’s on the surface doesn’t always tell the whole story. In a calm tone, she spoke about her experience with depression.
在接受新华社采访时，王雅楠听上去和其他朝气蓬勃的大一学生没什么区别。但表面看到的不一定是全部。她用平静的语气讲述了自己患抑郁症的经历。

Just after gaokao last year, Wang tried to commit suicide. “It’s not because of my grades, I just felt my life was meaningless,” she told Xinhua. “I thought I had nothing to do with the rest of the world.”
去年高考后，王雅楠试图自杀。“不是因为成绩，我只是觉得自己的生活很没意义，”她在接受新华社采访时谈到，“我觉得这个世界和我没什么关系。”

Wang’s struggle with mental health is not rare among people her age. A report by the China Youth & Children Research Center showed that about 30 million people under the age of 17 in China are dealing with emotional or behavioral disorders.
王雅楠与心理健康作斗争的经历在同龄人中并非个例。中国青少年研究中心一份报告显示，中国17岁以下儿童青少年中，约3000万人受到各种情绪障碍和行为问题困扰。

But why are teenagers more prone to these mental upheavals?
但为什么青少年更容易受到心理起伏的困扰呢？

According to Zhu Yongxin, deputy secretary-general of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, academic pressure is one of the main factors.
全国政协第十三届全国委员会副秘书长朱永新认为，学业压力是其中一个主要原因。

After entering senior high, Wang felt very tired. She often went to bed at 3 or 4 am, only to rise at 5. Lack of sleep and the inability to concentrate left Wang feeling overwhelmed.
进入高中后，王雅楠感觉很疲惫。她常常凌晨三四点睡觉，早上五点多就要起床。缺乏睡眠以及精力无法集中使王雅楠感到崩溃。

Too many examinations, struggling with competitive rankings and pressure from parents are other factors that lead to students’ psychological problems, Zhu said.
朱永新表示，考试过多、排名竞争激烈、来自父母的压力，都是造成学生心理问题的原因。

“My parents always tell me my classmates are competitors. So I view them as my enemies and feel upset whenever I see them,” Xiao Min, a 14-year-old, told Xinhua.
“我父母总是告诉我，我的同班同学都是我的竞争对手。所以我把他们都当成敌人，一见到他们我就心烦，”14岁的小敏在接受新华社采访时表示。

At a vulnerable period in life, when the ability to cope with setbacks has yet to fully develop, young people are far more susceptible to mental health issues, according to Liu Huaqing, a physician with Beijing Huilongguan Hospital.
北京回龙观医院的刘华清医生表示，年轻人正处于人生的一个脆弱时期，应对挫折的能力还没有完全锻炼出来，因此更容易受到心理健康问题的困扰。

Unfortunately, the symptoms are often ignored, met far too often with responses such as, “Why can others deal with setbacks and you can’t?” or “You are just making something out of nothing.”
遗憾的是，这些症状往往被忽视。青少年常得到这样的回应，比如“为什么别人能应对挫折而你不能？”或者“你就是在无中生有。”

Mental health is an important factor when considering the well-being of the country’s youth. And this is why the issue is being addressed. Measures such as easing workloads, avoiding public posting of test results and urging schools to stress the importance of adequate sleep have previously been taken. But in addition to these efforts, a new action plan has been put into place. The plan calls for all schools in China to offer psychological services on campus by the end of 2022.
在谈及一个国家青少年健康状况时，心理健康是一个重要因素。这也是为什么人们正在解决这一问题的原因。减少作业量、不公布考试成绩、敦促学校强调充足睡眠的重要性等举措已经实施。但除此之外，新的行动方案也已开展。这一方案提出，2022年底各级各类学校要开展学生心理健康服务。

Aside from the authorities’ efforts, families and teenagers need to be proactive, noted psychological consultant Yang Guilin. “Parents should try to be supportive, warm and open with their kids,” Yang added. “Teenagers should engage in aerobic exercise, such as playing badminton, to release negative emotions.”
除了政府相关部门的努力，家庭以及青少年自己需要积极主动，心理咨询师杨桂林提到。“父母应该支持孩子、有温度、更开明”，杨桂林补充道。“青少年应该多进行打羽毛球等有氧运动，释放消极情绪。”

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高三746期