Medical Guidance: Professor Li Yan, Director of the Mental Sleep Department at the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
With the arrival of the new school season, children need to gradually move away from the relaxed holiday atmosphere and step into a tense and organized learning rhythm. They need to adjust their biological clocks and psychological states in a timely manner to face the challenges of the new semester in the best condition.
However, sudden changes in routines, environmental shifts, and academic pressure may cause some children to experience difficulties in emotional management. In extreme cases, this can lead to emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety. When children’s emotional experiences become abnormally intense and start to interfere with their daily lives, social interactions, academics, and even leisure activities, it serves as a warning signal for both children and parents.
Warning signs to watch out for:
1
Passive Procrastination
One of the main manifestations of negative emotions in children is passive procrastination. It is not only towards learning but also towards their usual hobbies. They often feel anxious, sad, overthink, and tend to be pessimistic.
Another important sign is when children resist or fear going back to school. They constantly express their reluctance and avoidance towards starting school again, resist studying, and refuse to do homework. Over time, this can develop into strong avoidance and distress, making them unwilling to leave the house to attend school, or even denying themselves.
2
Insomnia
Experiencing insomnia is a significant sign of “back-to-school depression” in children. They have trouble falling asleep at night, oversleep in the morning, have their day and night schedules reversed, which severely affects their daily energy levels.
3
Feeling Low
When children constantly show a low mood at home, appear gloomy, lack interest in everything, and fail to feel happy about anything, parents should pay attention.
4
Excessive Fatigue
If children feel constantly tired and fatigued before school starts, it may be related to negative emotions like anxiety and depression.
Effective Coping Strategies:
1
Psychological Support
When dealing with a child’s anxiety, the primary task for parents is to understand and accept, rather than blame and demand excessively.
Transitioning from a holiday relaxation state to a school routine does take time, so it is recommended to help children gradually adjust psychologically through gentle soothing and encouragement. Overly blaming children during this period can lead to fear and avoidance of the upcoming school semester, or even develop into school avoidance situations.
2
Regular Exercise
Exercise can stimulate the secretion of happy hormones and reduce the accumulation of negative emotions. Parents are advised to encourage children to participate in outdoor activities more, utilize physical exercise to release stress, and cultivate a positive mood.
3
Plan Ahead
Plan studying and living schedules together with children, give them hope and expectation, assist them in creating reasonable study plans, and help them smoothly transition into the new semester’s life.
When children notice the onset of negative emotions, they should actively engage in psychological adjustments, strengthen inner strength through positive mental suggestions, manage their routines strictly to adapt gradually to the school’s rhythm, review their schoolwork actively, seek supervision and support from parents and teachers, maintain resilience in the face of setbacks, cheer themselves on, and face every challenge in life with an optimistic attitude.
If negative emotions persist and start affecting daily life and academics, it is advisable to seek further professional assistance from a specialized mental sleep clinic.
Medical Guidance: Li Yan, Professor, Doctor of Medicine, Doctoral Supervisor, Chief Physician of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Level 2 Psychological Consultant. Currently serves as the Director of the Mental Sleep Department at the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Awarded the title of Outstanding Young Talent in Traditional Chinese Medicine in Guangdong Province, and titles of Young Outstanding Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor and Excellent Doctor in Yang Cheng. Currently holds positions such as Chairman of the Sleep Psychology Professional Committee of the Guangdong Society of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Deputy Chairman of the Psychosomatic Medicine Professional Committee of the Guangdong Society of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, and Deputy Chairman of the Clinical Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy Professional Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Medical Association.
Under the guidance of renowned traditional Chinese medicine experts including Professor Tong Xiaolin from Beijing’s Guanganmen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Professor Zhang Xuewen from Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Professor Huang Huang from Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, and Professor Li Fazhi from Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Professor Li has been deeply influenced in the fields of traditional Chinese medicine theory and medical ethics and skills. Through years of clinical practice, Professor Li has gradually developed a theoretical guidance system in traditional Chinese medicine centered around “Treatise on Cold Damage” and “Discussion of Spleen and Stomach,” particularly excelling in using theories related to “Treatise on Cold Damage Syndrome Differentiation” and the “Spleen and Stomach” to treat mental disorders such as anxiety, depressive episodes, sleep disorders, panic disorders, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, and other psychological and sleep-related diseases.
Having received systematic training in various streams of professional psychological therapies including psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, family therapy, marriage therapy, family system constellations, and sandbox therapy, Professor Li flexibly applies various therapies such as individual psychotherapy, group therapy, family system constellations, sandplay games, emotional therapy, and other methods to treat a wide range of disorders covering all types of sleep disorders, depressive episodes, various neuroses, interpersonal relationship difficulties, emotional and behavioral disorders in adolescents, abnormal marital and family relationships, abnormal parent-child relationships, difficulties in occupational adaptation, and various psychological disorders.
Clinical Hours: Monday and Wednesday mornings (Mental Sleep Department, Main Clinic Building, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Thursday mornings (Special Needs Clinic, 5th Floor, West Wing, Main Clinic Building, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine).
Introduction to the Mental Sleep Department at the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
The Mental Sleep Department at the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine was established in 2005 and has seen rapid development since then with a wide range of treated diseases, strong comprehensive service capabilities, and significant national influence. The department currently has 13 clinical doctors, 3 psychotherapists, with an annual outpatient volume exceeding 30,000 visits. The percentage of pure traditional Chinese medicine treatment is close to 95%, and the effectiveness rate is over 80%.
The Mental Sleep Department focuses on a variety of diseases including all types of sleep disorders, mental disorders, psychological disorders, and some complex miscellaneous diseases. It also addresses and improves poor interpersonal relationships, abnormal parent-child relationships, learning difficulties, adolescent adaptation disorders, abnormal marital relationships, etc.
During the clinical diagnosis and treatment process, the department emphasizes both physical and psychological treatments and provides highly individualized treatment plans based on individual needs. The treatment approaches selectively combine Chinese herbal decoctions, acupuncture, psychotherapy, physical therapy, and various unique therapies such as individual psychotherapy, group therapy, sleep cognitive-behavioral therapy, hypnosis, sandplay therapy, acupuncture, among others. The clinical efficacy is significant, and the traditional Chinese medicine characteristics are prominent.
Contributor: Zhan Zhi
Executive Editor: Wang Junfei
Proofreader: Zhang Liangwen
Responsible Editor: Chen Jiajia
