SHIJIAZHUANG -- Three hospitals in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region have established an alliance for depressive disorder prevention and treatment to boost coordinated medical care development in the region, local authorities said on May 24.

The alliance was launched by the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Peking University Sixth Hospital and Tianjin Anding Hospital.

According to a white paper on the mental health of Chinese urban residents in 2018, many people suffer from insomnia, anxiety and depression.

The country has seen a growing number of people with depression and an increasing number of young people suffering from depression, said Xu Chunfang, deputy director of the Health Commission of Hebei Province.

Xu added that postpartum depression and mental issues of elderly people also call for attention.

The alliance aims to improve public awareness on depressive disorder through health education, help authorities formulate policies for the prevention and treatment of depression, and further study the causes and treatment to help patients have a better quality of life.