On the morning of October 30, the International Symposium on Children and Adolescents Mental Health Service System Development officially launched at the Xuhui Campus of the Shanghai Mental Health Center. The morning session featured a series of expert lectures, with 5 distinguished scholars from the School of Global Health at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, NYU Grossman School of Medicine delivering presentations on pressing issues in the field of mental health.
Min Zhao , President of Shanghai Mental Health Center, delivered the leader's remarks
Barbara J. Stoll , Executive Vice President of China Medical Board, delivered the leader's remarks
The symposium officially opened with the opening remarks delivered by two distinguished professors: Professor Min Zhao, President of the Shanghai Mental Health Center, and Dr. Barbara J. Stoll, Executive Vice Chair of the China Medical Board (CMB). Both speakers addressed the key challenges currently facing global mental health, while emphasizing the importance of multi-sector collaboration, coordination between schools and healthcare institutions, and community engagement. They also highlighted the significance of international academic exchanges and the sharing of practical experiences in advancing policy implementation and optimizing mental health services. Following their remarks, the symposium proceeded to the expert lecture sessions.
The invited experts, from both China and abroad, delivered lectures on topics including policy development for children and adolescents mental health services, evidence-based practices, self-harm risk assessment and intervention, mental health promotion, and the development of high-quality inpatient care.
Professor Guohong Li shared research findings
Professor Guohong Li, Vice Dean of the School of Global Health at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, delivered a keynote lecture titled “Policies, resources, and interventions for child and adolescent mental health in China: a scoping review”. In her presentation, Professor Li summarized developments in mental health services, policies, resources, and related interventions over the past decade, and offered recommendations for optimizing resources and enhancing the service system in the future.
Subsequently, the symposium hosted a publication ceremony for the paper in The Lancet Regional Health: Western Pacific, marking the official release of a collaborative research article led by the Shanghai Mental Health Center and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, in partnership with internationally renowned institutions including Harvard University, Yale University, and New York University, as well as co-investigators from Tongji University Affiliated Mental Health Center and Peking University Sixth Hospital. Dr. Jie Cai, Editor-in-Chief of the journal, attended the event, joining distinguished guests in celebrating this significant milestone.
The paper has been formally published
Amid enthusiastic applause, the publication ceremony concluded successfully, and the academic lecture segment of the symposium commenced. Myron L. Belfer, Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, delivered a keynote address titled “Evidence-based Practice Suggestions to Young Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists in China”. Professor Belfer’s presentation adopted an international evidence-based medicine perspective, systematically highlighting the importance of establishing a scientific evidence base for mental health services for children and adolescents. He further discussed the practical challenges and future directions for providing appropriate, accessible care to children with mental health needs and their families across diverse cultural and resource contexts.
Professor Belfer Delivers Special Lecture
Nadine J. Kaslow, Professor of department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, delivered a keynote lecture on “Suicide Assessment, Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention with Individuals and Families”. She explored in depth how to identify risks, implement early interventions, and provide sustained support for adolescents and their families following crises. Professor Kaslow noted that while China has made significant progress in this area, challenges remain in adolescent prevention and treatment efforts. She emphasized the need for enhanced systemic collaboration among government, schools, healthcare providers, and social organizations to build multi-tiered support systems grounded in science, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity. This approach aims to reduce stigma around seeking help, prioritize vulnerable adolescent populations, and foster the development of a multidisciplinary, comprehensive mental health protection framework.
Professor Kaslow Delivers Special Lecture
Jess P. Shatkin, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, delivered a keynote lecture titled “Mental Health Promotion & Disease Prevention--It’s about time”. From a public mental health perspective, he explored the primary mental health challenges faced by contemporary adolescents and the practical obstacles within the service system. He emphasized that mental health promotion and disease prevention extend beyond clinical practice, constituting a vital component of broader societal health strategies. The lecture systematically analyzed the distinctions between health promotion, disease prevention strategies, and business as usual, highlighting how early education, family support, and integrated social resources can effectively enhance psychological resilience and overall mental health among children and adolescents.
Professor Shatkin Delivers Special Lecture
Andrés S. Martin, Professor of Psychiatry, Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, delivered a keynote lecture titled “Quality Inpatient Mental Health Services for Child and Adolescent ”. Professor Martin highlighted that high-quality inpatient care is essential for adolescent mental health, stressing that services should be safe, effective, family-centered, and developmentally appropriate for children and adolescents. He emphasized that building a professional workforce and investing in innovative approaches are key to achieving these goals, with the core objectives being the cultivation of adolescents’ psychological resilience, the promotion of recovery, and support for their smooth reintegration into family, school, and community settings. He also shared future directions for service development, including trauma-informed and recovery-oriented care models, peer support and youth participation mechanisms in counseling, telehealth technologies for family meetings and follow-up care, and seamless integration with community services—all aimed at establishing a more comprehensive and sustainable inpatient mental health service system for adolescents.
Professor Martin Delivers Special Lecture
