Exploring the mental health education policies of Chinese college students: based on policy text analysis and PMC-Index model.

INTRODUCTION

College students' mental health education is crucial for holistic individual development and societal quality. It shapes well-rounded personalities, fosters innovation, and cultivates responsible citizens, contributing to social stability and national development. Our research aims to establish an evaluation system for college student mental health education policies based on the Policy Modeling Consistency Index (PMC-Index) model and text mining techniques, quantitatively assessing 15 representative policies.

METHOD

This paper first retrieves policy documents through specialized policy databases and government websites, excluding policies that have already expired or become invalid. The sample selections of this research range from 2001 to 2024, including national guidelines and specific actions. Referring to the above steps of policy effectiveness evaluation, our research comprehensively analyses the implementation effectiveness of the foregoing policies regarding mental health curricula, service systems, crisis intervention, and family cooperation. In the following, based on 10 major variables, 38 sub-variables are constructed with a binary coding system to quantify the content of policy for objectivity. Then, the ROSTCM 6.0 software is used for text segmentation and word frequency statistics, meanwhile, keywords and semantic networks of core policies will be considered for analysis. Subsequently, the PMC-Index is computed based on the multi-input-output matrix and a diagram of the PMC-Surface is drawn with the help of MATLAB to express policy consistency and deficiencies in different dimensions intuitively.

RESULTS

Among the 15 policies, 11 exhibit Great Consistency (GC), and 4 fall under Acceptable Consistency (AC). Higher scores are found in Policy Function (X), Policy Evaluation (X), and Policy Goals (X), indicating practical implementation and clear guidance. However, lower scores in Policy Nature (X), Policy Timeliness (X), Policy Issuing Agency (X), and Policy Object (X) reveal deficiencies in policy innovation, long-term planning, and target group coverage. Particularly, short-term policies lack sustainability, limiting their long-term effectiveness in supporting students' mental health. Through PMC-Surface analysis, it is found that lower scores in timeliness and adaptability to target groups are primary factors contributing to surface depressions in the diagram, suggesting that these policies struggle to meet the diverse needs of different types of higher education institutions. The research also highlights significant areas for improvement in resource allocation, support system construction, and personalized mental health services. Some policies fail to address regional disparities, with weaker implementation in underdeveloped areas and insufficient safeguard mechanisms.

DISCUSSION

In the future, long-term planning for policy optimization is expected, in which priority would be given to localized resource allocation and close collaboration among schools, families, and society to ensure the comprehensiveness and sustainability of mental health education services. The research has identified certain strengths and weaknesses in the policies concerning mental health education for college students in China, thus providing theoretical references and specific recommendations that can be effectively implemented in higher education institutions.