"I'm not surprised by the survey results at all," said a college student surnamed Xu.

"On the one hand, most of the college students are from the post-1980 generation who don't have tough minds. On the other, they are indeed facing serious challenges such as unemployment, purchasing houses and the pressure of life," Xu said.

There have been a growing number of college students showing psychological disorders when encountering problems.

Pan Quanhui, a 23-year-old student at the University of Hong Kong, committed suicide earlier this month because he could not get rid of the pimple on his face.

Pei Meng, a 19-year-old student in Nanyang Normal University of Sichuan province, jumped to her death from a building on Jan 15 this year due to a poor performance on her final exam.

"To instill the students with an ability to resist frustration is crucial," said Hu Deng, a member of the Chinese Psychological Society and professor at Renmin University of China.

According to research by the China Youth and Children Research Association, 30 million youngsters below the age of 17 are suffering from mental troubles.

It also said anxiety disorders among college students increased 8 percent between 1992 and 2005, and depression rose by 7 percent.

This is partly because families have failed to develop their children's mental toughness, according to Pan Guiyu.

"In most cases they are spoiled and have not been taught to be independent, responsible and express gratitude," she said.

On Chinese mainland, 34 percent of people younger than 25 are the only children in their families.

On the other hand, as migrant workers flow from the countryside to cities, there are 58 million children left behind without the guidance of parents.

"My worries about the personality of China's youngsters are beyond description," Pan said.