Speaker: Professor Scott Rozelle

Time: 20th June, 18:30

Venue: Godlen Hall

Abstract:  Although children living in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for 90% of the global population of children, mental health among children in LMICs has been understudied. This study examines the prevalence of depression and anxiety and their associations with biological and psycho-social factors among children across China, with a focus on rural areas. We conduct a large-scale epidemiological study among 53,421 elementary and junior high school-aged children across China. The results show that 20% are at risk for depression, 6% are at risk for general anxiety, and 68% are at risk for at least one type of anxiety. Girls and junior high school students show higher risk for mental health problems; socioeconomic status has varying associations to mental health. Our results also show robust correlations between mental health and cognition. These findings underscore the importance of identification, prevention, and treatment of youth mental health problems in underdeveloped areas. As China constitutes 15% of the global population of children under age 18, this study offers valuable information to the field of Global Mental Health, especially given its findings of high prevalence for multiple mental health problems and robust correlations between mental health and cognition.

In addition, we will also address issues of mental health among mothers and other caregivers of young children in rural China. One of the most fundamental issues that underlie the high level of development delays of young children in rural China is the mental health of caregivers, including mothers. Nearly 30% of caregivers of young children in rural China are at risk for depression, anxiety and stress. When caregivers receive treatment in the form of Thinking Healthy Extension Program (originally a UN developed program), the cognitive ability and language skill of their young children rise significantly. 

Profile:  Scott Rozelle is the Helen F. Farnsworth Senior Fellow and the co-director of Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research at Stanford University. 

He received his BS from the University of California, Berkeley, and his MS and PhD from Cornell University. Previously, Rozelle was a professor at the University of California, Davis and an assistant professor in Stanford’s Food Research Institute and department of economics. He currently is a member of several organizations, including the American Economics Association, the International Association for Agricultural Economists, and the Association for Asian Studies. 

His research focuses almost exclusively on China and is concerned with: agricultural policy, including the supply, demand, and trade in agricultural projects; the emergence and evolution of markets and other economic institutions in the transition process and their implications for equity and efficiency; and the economics of poverty and inequality, with an emphasis on rural education, health and nutrition. Rozelle's papers have been published in top academic journals, including Science, Nature, American Economic Review, and the Journal of Economic Literature. 

In recognition of his outstanding achievements, Rozelle has received numerous honors and awards, including the Friendship Award in 2008, the highest award given to a non-Chinese by the Premier; and the National Science and Technology Collaboration Award in 2009 for scientific achievement in collaborative research.