Psychological counseling highlighted in China's regular epidemic control

The Chinese health authority has pledged to strengthen psychological counseling services as the country pushes forward regular epidemic prevention and control.

He Qinghua, an official with the National Health Commission, highlighted the role of psychological counseling services in the epidemic at a press conference Friday.

The services should focus on key groups and the vulnerable people, including the elderly, children, the people with disabilities and patients with severe chronic diseases, according to He.

He also stressed improving psychological counseling at the community level and called on professional institutions to reach out to residents in need.

More efforts will also be made to promote knowledge about mental health with the help of modern technologies and platforms, said He.