Consider depression screening at ages 12–18, and do not treat a school questionnaire as a diagnosis
US preventive guidance recommends depression screening at ages 12–18; evidence is insufficient for routine screening at 11 or younger. A school mental health questionnaire is an initial check, not a diagnosis. If a child reports distress or shows major changes in eating, sleep, interests, or school performance, arrange clinical assessment rather than waiting for a school screening result.
What it takes
The source estimates no charge to tens of RMB for a screening questionnaire in a community or hospital clinic in China. Chinese helplines 12355 and 12356 are free.
What you may gain
The US Preventive Services Task Force's 2022 statement gives a grade B recommendation for major depressive disorder screening at ages 12–18. For children 11 or younger, evidence is insufficient, an I statement. Evidence is also insufficient to determine the benefits and harms of universal suicide-risk screening in children and adolescents. The statement identifies suicide as the second leading cause of death at ages 10–19 in its US context and links childhood or adolescent major depression with recurrent adult depression, other psychiatric disorders, and later suicidal thoughts, attempts, and death. China's October 2025 Ten Measures for Strengthening Mental Health Work among Primary and Secondary Students calls for a three-level support system involving class teachers, full- or part-time mental health teachers, and psychiatrists. Students' school psychological assessments should generally occur no more than once per academic year. It also calls for referral to clinical care, supported return after recovery, and use of 12355 and 12356.
Context & considerations
Evidence is B because the source uses a recommendation grade rather than a numerical treatment effect. The age-specific recommendation is from the United States; the book did not identify an equivalent Chinese clinical screening recommendation. A positive screen indicates a need for assessment, not an established diagnosis. For suicidal thoughts, see chapter 1, entry 25; for family support after major difficulties, chapter 29.
Research & references
US Preventive Services Task Force (2022). Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Children and Adolescents: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.16946; General Office of the Ministry of Education (2025). Ten Measures for Strengthening Mental Health Work among Primary and Secondary Students, Jiaojiting [2025] No. 2. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202510/content_7045528.htm