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The mental health issues of school students are a hot topic of social concern. With the rapid development of the economy and society, the environment in which students grow up is constantly changing, and the mental health problems of students are becoming more prominent. According to the "Report on the Development of National Mental Health in China (2019-2020)", the detection rate of depression among adolescents is as high as 24.6%, with severe depression accounting for 7.4%. Among college students, 18.5% have a tendency towards depression, and 4.2% have a high-risk tendency towards depression.
In 2023, 17 departments including the Ministry of Education and the National Health Commission jointly issued the "Special Action Plan for Strengthening and Improving the Mental Health of Students in the New Era (2023-2025)", adhering to the educational concept of health first and building a "four in one" work system, reflecting the high attention of the Party and the state to student mental health work.
Research has found that middle and high school students face significant academic pressure, and schools find it difficult to fully guarantee the allocation of resources such as mental health education courses, class hours, and full-time teachers. College students face great pressure in their studies, education, and employment, and the proportion of psychological counseling teachers is too small to meet the complex mental health needs of many students.
Art therapy integrates knowledge of art and psychology, and can improve the physiological, psychological, and emotional well-being of participants through the creative process of art. It helps people express emotions, release stress, and improve their mental health through artistic forms, and has a positive effect on alleviating psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. Art therapy, as a form of psychological therapy, involves various forms such as painting and music, and has natural connections with many aspects of Chinese school aesthetic education. Incorporating art therapy into school aesthetic education can expand the connotation of school aesthetic education and become an important supplement to students' mental health construction measures.
Firstly, aesthetic education related courses with artistic healing characteristics can benefit all students; Secondly, the painting, handicrafts, and other methods used in the process of art therapy have a natural appeal, which will increase students' acceptance and participation; Furthermore, existing psychological assessment papers may be influenced by factors such as students' self-awareness, defense mechanisms, or social expectations, leading to deviations between answers and actual situations. The use of art therapy methods can provide effective supplementary means for more accurately identifying students' psychological problems; Finally, based on the existing middle and high school "aesthetic education" curriculum system and the one-stop student community management system in universities, a multi-level and multi-path system for student mental health construction and management can be constructed through training for in-service aesthetic education teachers and psychological counseling teachers.
Suggestions for this:
1、 Strengthen the guidance of ideology and values. Integrating correct life philosophy education into art therapy practice, guiding students to establish correct worldviews and values, and enhancing self-awareness and emotional management abilities. By creating and sharing artistic works, students can gain a deeper understanding of each other's feelings and experiences, enhance mutual understanding and tolerance, and create a harmonious and diverse campus atmosphere.
2、 Art education courses drive artistic healing. Taking art therapy as an extension of aesthetic education curriculum education, combined with the implementation of the "School Aesthetic Education Immersion Action", provides another path for students to build their mental health. Combining existing aesthetic education related courses such as painting, handicrafts, sculpture, etc., carry out practical activities with art healing as the theme. Through artistic creation, appreciation, and sharing, help students release stress, express emotions, and improve self-awareness and emotional management skills. Among domestic universities, the Central Academy of Fine Arts has made sufficient accumulation and preparation in theoretical research, while the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts has made sufficient progress in teaching and social practice.
3、 Develop the discipline of art therapy. Establishing art healing majors in art colleges with conditions, drawing on advanced foreign experience and resources, and combining with China's actual situation, developing suitable talent training programs and curriculum systems, strengthening discipline and professional construction, and cultivating professional art healing talents for society. Provide training on art therapy for teachers who are currently engaged in related work to improve their mental health counseling abilities.
4、 Build an on campus art therapy platform. Build art therapy studios and other practical platforms on campus to provide students with a safe and comfortable environment for art therapy. Organize regular art therapy workshops and lectures to allow students to personally experience the healing power of art.
5、 Select regions and schools for pilot promotion. Select universities and middle schools in provinces and cities with a solid foundation and conditions for pilot projects, establish a system of integrating art therapy into school aesthetic education through the linkage of universities and middle schools, and the joint construction of schools and society, timely summarize experience, and form a practical and effective new plan for the construction of "art education medicine" mental health.
(Source: China Art Daily)