YOUNG PATIENTS' DEPRESSION A CHALLENGE FOR DOCTORS

Psychologists at hospitals work with schools to screen children for potential problems, as Zhou Wenting reports.

When psychologists recently assessed a 10-year-old Shanghai girl who was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder two years ago, they found the former top student was troubled by long-term, severe depression.

"I had high expectations for my studies and life, and so did my parents," the girl said. "But the disease trapped me in fear and despair, which I hid from my parents after I found they wouldn't allow me to be weak or give up."