Quick answer
A locked psychiatric ward is a safe place for an adult in crisis and a frightening place for a child. In April 2025, Zhejiang University Children's Hospital opened an open ward at its Moganshan campus — described as the first of its kind in a Chinese children's hospital — where parents stay, doors are not locked, and treatment includes a vegetable garden where children plant and harvest [5]. In the first seven months it admitted 181 children, mostly with moderate-to-severe psychological disorders [1][3].
Key takeaways
- Opened April 2025; described as the first open paediatric psychiatric ward in a Chinese children's hospital [1][2].
- 181 admissions from April to October 2025, mainly moderate-to-severe psychological disorders and emotional-behavioural problems [3].
- Risk grading within 24 hours of admission reached 100%; only three episodes of physical restraint and two minor behavioural conflicts [3].
- 171 group psychotherapy sessions and regular parent workshops ran in the same period [3].
- Bed capacity grew from 17 to 26, with single, double and triple rooms [4].
What "open" changes
Four design choices define the ward. Space is rebuilt to feel unlike a hospital — communal areas, a garden, quiet rooms. Risk is graded dynamically rather than managed by locking doors, so a child's level of observation rises and falls with their state. Families are treated as part of the team, with weekly classes and family therapy. And a multidisciplinary team covers biology, psychology, family and social reintegration [1][3].
The biological component is conventional — medication plus transcranial magnetic stimulation and EEG biofeedback. The psychological component combines cognitive behavioural therapy, sandplay, group therapy and art therapy. The social component includes keeping up with schoolwork and preparing for return to school, which is often the hardest part for children who have been out of class for months [1].
What the first year showed
The published service evaluation reports the operational numbers rather than clinical outcomes: 100% of children risk-graded within 24 hours, three episodes of physical restraint among high-risk patients, two minor behavioural conflicts, and 171 group therapy sessions. Those figures are the argument for openness — a ward where restraint is rare is a ward where children are not being managed primarily by containment [3].
There is no comparison group and no outcome measure such as symptom scores or readmission rates in the available reports. Whether an open ward produces better results than a conventional one, and for which children it is unsafe, is an empirical question that this evaluation does not answer. The ward also sits within a department with more than 30 years of history and over 100,000 outpatient visits a year, which is not a resource most hospitals have [1][3].
The condition in context: child mental health in China
Demand for child and adolescent psychiatric care has risen faster than inpatient capacity, and most wards follow adult models.
| Region | What the data shows | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Service gap | Chinese child psychiatric management largely copies adult ward models [3]. | CNKI service evaluation [3] |
| Casemix | Admissions are dominated by moderate-to-severe disorders and emotional-behavioural problems [3]. | CNKI service evaluation [3] |
| Capacity | Beds expanded from 17 to 26 within a year of opening [4]. | Xinli Zaixian [4] |
Because adolescent psychiatric beds are scarce, families often travel long distances and stay for weeks — which makes the family-inclusive design practical as well as humane [2].
Why it matters
| For the patient | What the report suggests | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stigma | A de-medicalised environment reduces fear of hospital [1]. | [1] |
| Family | Parents participate in treatment rather than visit [1][3]. | [1][3] |
| Caution | No outcome comparison; open wards are not suitable for every child [3]. | [3] |
Availability and limits
- This is an editorial summary of hospital reports, not a treatment recommendation [1][2].
- No controlled outcome data are reported [3].
- Open wards require staffing ratios that many hospitals cannot match [1].
- Children at acute risk of self-harm may still need a closed setting [3].
- Care is delivered in Chinese and family involvement is expected [2].
What to ask before booking
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is my child's risk level compatible with an open ward? | Dynamic risk grading determines suitability [3]. |
| Can a parent stay throughout? | Family participation is a core component, not optional [1]. |
| Which department handles foreign patients, and in what language? | ZJU Children's is a working hospital we do not book; confirm international-department coordination and language support. |
| How is schooling maintained during admission? | Academic continuity is part of the social dimension [1]. |
Questions patients ask
What opened?
An open psychiatric ward for children and adolescents at Zhejiang University Children's Hospital's Moganshan campus, in April 2025 — described as the first of its kind in a Chinese children's hospital [1][2].
How many patients has it treated?
181 admissions between April and October 2025, mostly moderate-to-severe psychological disorders [3].
What makes it 'open'?
No locked doors; families stay and participate; risk is managed by dynamic grading; the environment is de-medicalised with shared spaces and a therapy garden [1][3].
Does it work better than a closed ward?
Not established — the published evaluation reports service data, not comparative outcomes [3].
Is this relevant to international patients?
It is useful context for China's child mental health services. ZJU Children's Hospital is a working hospital we do not book — contact its international department directly [1].