Lowering defenses

Like Zhang's son, Pang Haolin, a 22-year-old college student, had to take temporary breaks from studying during secondary and high school due to mental health problems. He used to experience severe anxiety and discomfort when he was under too much pressure at school or from his parents.

He has gotten better, but both he and his parents were "pretty defensive" about his mental state for a long time.

Pang was unable to express himself as openly as he does now, especially with his father, and resisted the idea to be open. He said his concerns and emotions were met with "endless criticism" from his dad.

"If your child is already tired of learning and overly anxious in school, parents must support and understand the child's ideas instead of blindly giving them mandatory requirements," Pang said.

"I think the most important thing for children is that they have time to figure out things for themselves, think about what they want to do in the future, and find a purpose and direction in life."

Li, the psychologist, said cognitive rigidity, like the idea that life has no value and meaning if we fail a certain test or task, is an important factor in depression.

Similar to Zhang's son, and Pang when he was younger, having no hope for the future and not maintaining a positive attitude toward the world is a typical sign of depression, she said. It is important to give teenagers such as some time and space to find the future they really want, she added.