By the Affiliated Mental Health Center, ZJU School of Medicine (Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital)

Oct. 23, 2025  15:08 PM

As mental health takes center stage in public discourse worldwide, experts gathered in Hangzhou last month to chart a new course for psychological care in the digital age. “Mental Health and Psychological Well-being Services within the National Holistic Health Strategy,” an academic conference co-hosted by the China Association for Mental Health (CAMH), the Affiliated Mental Health Center, ZJU School of Medicine (Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital), the Research Center for Mental Health and Humanities, ZJU School of Medicine, and the D. H. Chen School of Universal Health, ZJU, wrapped up on October 21, 2025.

The conference brought together scientists, clinicians, policymakers, and educators from China and beyond. It zeroed in on youth mental health and new digital-era services and practices, charting new paths for mental health care within a comprehensive health strategy and driving new progress for the entire sector.

Jiang Wen, Deputy Party Secretary and Director of Discipline Inspection from National Center for Mental Health (NCMH); Prof. Richard Hobbs, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford; Wang Xuchu, Deputy Director of Hangzhou Municipal Health Commission and Director of Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Zhao Xudong, CAMH’s Vice President; Li Weijian, Chief Scientist of Zhejiang Intelligent Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health & Crisis Intervention, to name a few, were present to the conference.

Li Xiaoming, Vice President of Zhejiang University, made remarks at the opening session. Also present to the meeting were representatives from the Affiliated Mental Health Center, ZJU School of Medicine (Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital), the ZJU’s Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, the Research Center for Mental Health and Humanities, ZJU School of Medicine, and the D. H. Chen School of Universal Health, ZJU.

The opening was chaired by Luo Hong, Party Secretary of our hospital and Director of the Research Center for Mental Health and Humanities, ZJU School of Medicine.

In his address, CAMH’s Vice President Zhao Xudong emphasized that youth mental health is a critical indicator of a nation’s social development and citizens’ happiness - and it is also an essential component of national strategy. CAMH is doing its utmost to call for youth mental wellness this year - the 40th anniversary since founded. Zhao noted that the conference helps bridge the gap for youth from China and the UK, inspire cross-cultural and interdisciplinary collaborations between the two nations, and boost the mental health wellness over the next generations.

Wang Xuchu, representing the city’s health authorities, stated that mental health is a vital part of universal health, and mental health services are facing both opportunities and challenges in the digital era. Hangzhou is looking for advancements across multiple fronts - from service system to talent development - and hopes to learn from the best practices worldwide to drive up local and global collaborations.

Vice President Li Xiaoming from ZJU pointed out that mental health is not just a medical issue - it’s something that affects everyone: society as a whole, policymakers, and ordinary folks alike. He noted that with the rise of AI, we’ve entered what he called a “three-part world,” where people, physical things, and digital information are constantly interacting. This shift, he said, is reshaping how we govern, how we live, and how we work - and that’s having a real impact on our mental well-being. While this new reality opens up exciting possibilities for mental health care, it also brings brand-new challenges. Li emphasized that tackling these issues won’t happen in silos - it’ll take experts from all kinds of fields working together, plus strong international collaborations. He urged everyone to join forces in shaping a smarter, more effective future for global mental health - trying out fresh ideas and bringing real momentum to the field.

Jiang Wen from NCMH presented a sobering global picture, noting that integrating mental health into the One Health strategy and into our socioeconomic development has been a global consensus. She reaffirmed NCMH’s unwavering commitment to building a wide network for clinical care and disorder prevention and shifting from a disease-centered model to one centered on holistic health.

Session 1: Youth Mind Development in the Digital Age

The session, zeroing in on the profound impact of digital technology on children’s mental development and practical strategies to address the challenges it brings, was chaired by Guo Wanjun, Deputy President of the Affiliated Mental Health Center, ZJU School of Medicine (Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital).

Luo Hong

Party Secretary, the Affiliated Mental Health Center, ZJU School of Medicine (Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital)

“‘Hangzhou Model’ for Youth Mental Health Services in China”

Zhao Xudong

Vice President, China Association for Mental Health (CAMH)

“The Impact of the AI-driven Era on Family-Based Mentalization”

Session 2: Digital Transformation and Youth Mental Health

Chaired by Jiang Wen, Deputy Party Secretary and Director of Discipline Inspection of National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), the session explores new ways to deliver mental health care through digital technology.

Jane Harris

Co-Director, Student Welfare and Support Services

Co-Chair, the Wellbeing in Higher Education Expert Group

“Addressing Moral Panic and Idealization in Mental Health Service Design and Delivery: Observations from the Contemporary Britain”

Richard Hobbs

Pro-Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford

“Can Digital Health Improve Access to Children’s Mental Health Services?”

Yu Zhou

Director of Haina STEM Education Technology Research Center, Yangzte Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Zhejiang

“Digital-Educational Interventions for Children with Special Needs”

Wang Qian

Deputy Secrtary General, China Association for Mental Health (CAMH)

“Developing Trust and Shared Experience: An Approach to Expanding Mentalization-Based Treatment Settings”

Session 3: Digital Approaches to Youth Emotional Well-being

The session chaired by He Hongbo, Director of Guangdong Mental Health Center was centered about using digital technology to proactively prevent and treat emotional health issues.

Mohammed Al -uzri

Presidential Lead for International Affairs at the Royal College of Psychiatrists

“Assertive Community Treatment: Understanding the Model”

Zhang Junhang

Head of Information Technology Dept., the Affiliated Mental Health Center, ZJU School of Medicine (Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital)

“Building and Application of a Digital Platform for Children’s Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment”

Sean Cross

CCO, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM)

“Latest Advances in Suicide Prevention Strategy, Assessment, and Management in the UK (2025)”

Session 4: Innovating Psychiatric Service Models

Chen Guangdi, Executive Dean of the D. H. Chen School of Universal Health, ZJU, chaired the session exploring how to reshape community-based psychiatric care and the significance of cross-disciplinary advancements.

He Hongbo

Director, Guangdong Mental Health Center

“Guangdong’s Experience on Building a Psychiatric Service System”

Chen Hui

Chair of the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, ZJU

“Mental Health Services at the Intersection of Disciplines and the Future Trends”

Jiang Wen

Deputy Party Secretary and Director of Discipline Inspection, National Center for Mental Health (NCMH)

“Empowering Community-based Services Through Innovation: Toward Universal Access to Mental Health Care”

Session 5: Integrated Support Networks Across Family, School, Community, and Clinic

Ye Zhihong, Associate Dean of the D. H. Chen School of Universal Health, ZJU, led the discussions on addressing the issue of “fragmented mental health care services.”

Li Weijian

Chief Scientist, Zhejiang Intelligent Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health & Crisis Intervention

“The Role of University in Integrated Family-School-Community-Clinic Collaborations: A Case Study from the School of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University”

Zhong Baoliang

Director of Wuhan Mental Health Center

“Experience on Community-Hospital Collaborations in Wuhan”

Session 6: Applying Mentalization in Real-World Health Systems

The first half of the session, chaired by Cui Xiaohong (for Part I), Associate Dean of the D. H. Chen School of Universal Health, ZJU, placed a focus on mentalization and its role in clinical practice.

Wang Lanlan

Executive Deputy Director, Department of Psychology, Shanghai No.1 People’s Hospital

“Mentalization Development and Psychopathology”

Zhang Shufang

Mental Health Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University

“Research on an AI-Powered, Full-Cycle Psychological Disorder Management System”

The second half was chaired by Li Hang from the Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Management, Guangdong Medical University.

Qi Jing

Associate Chief Physician, Hunan Brain Hospital

“Mentalization-Informed Reflections on Building for-Employee Mental Health Services under the National Health Initiative for Staff from Science, Education, Culture, Public Health, and Sports Fields”

You Zhou (online speaker)

Associate Director, Research and Practice at ParentChild+

“Community-Based Parent-Child Interventions in the US: A Guidance to Advancing Mentalization-Based Practices”

Luo Hong offered the conference’s takeaways at the closing ceremony - this is not only an intellectual exchange but a powerful catalyst for shared action. We’ve seen firsthand the immense potential of digital technologies to enable precise mental health interventions, the sparks of innovation through collaborations among families, schools, communities, and clinics, and the insights when global perspectives come together. The “One Health” framework will be a clear path forward - to continue leveraging AI-powered tools to foster cross-sector collaborations, ensuring mental health services are not just available but high-quality, tailored, and precisely matched to individual needs.