A deputy to China's National People's Congress is calling for mental health assessments to be included in annual physical exams for primary and secondary school students across the country.

China's national legislature will hold its annual session from March 5 to 12 in Beijing.

Huang Huachun, who is also vice-principal of Chongzuo Senior High School in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has focused on integrating mental health screenings into routine physical checkups, highlighting that mental well-being deserves equal attention with physical health.

She advocated for standardized mental health evaluations to avoid superficial implementation and urged stronger coordination between medical and educational institutions.

She also called for fast?track referral pathways for at-risk students, digital mental health records, and increased staffing and training support for border and ethnic regions.

Having focused on youth mental health issues since 2021, Huang noticed a rise in psychological distress among young people, with problems emerging at earlier ages and showing more hidden symptoms, which were often worsened by excessive use of electronic devices.