Almost 15 per cent of middle school students in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, are suffering from depression, a recent survey has shown.

The survey, conducted by Nanjing Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control over the past couple of months, found that among 7,161 students in the city's 56 middle schools, 14.8 percent of them are suffering from depression of a different degree.

The symptoms of adolescent depression include insomnia, physical tiredness, loss of appetite, low attention span, apathy, and little sense of value and happiness, according to an expert with the centre surnamed Li on Wednesday.

"If a kid has suffered from most of the symptoms for more than two weeks, we consider him/her a depression sufferer," said Li.

Li said that their survey method involved questionnaires and conducting interviews with kids on a wide range of topics.

Academic performance and family background were found to be the two most decisive elements in a child's emotional state.

Those confident about their academic performance were more optimistic about their future, and those from harmonious families with parents in stable jobs appeared to be more carefree.

According to the survey, 17.1 percent of students in their final year at middle school are depression sufferers, 2.3 percent higher than average.

"The pressure of the college entrance exam and concern over their futures are the main reasons for their anxiety," said Li.

Noticeably, 16.4 per cent of boys surveyed said they are suffering from depression, compared with 13 per cent of girls.

"Boys told us they had many dreams, but were upset that in reality they are judged by their exam scores," Li said.

Compared with the 5-10 percent rate among the whole Chinese population, this high rate of adolescent depression deserves attention, he said.

Local education professionals expressed their concern over the accuracy of the survey.

"It is inevitable that adolescents feel upset, as their future is still uncertain and their life attitude is not so mature. But growing pains will be overcome naturally as kids become adults. So to categorize them as depression sufferers in medical terms is inappropriate," said Wang Ying, a teacher with No 3 Middle School in Nanjing yesterday.

However, Zhou Zhengqiu, a psychology expert with Nanjing Medical University, said yesterday that the lack of attention to the issue is his major concern.

"Research shows that most depression sufferers are introverted and don't seek help. If no one pays attention to them, they might suffer more and harm themselves," he said.

(China Daily June 9, 2006)