Depressions and Alcohol - Children more likely to be in hospital for mental illness
More children and adolescents than ever before were treated in hospitals in 2022 for psychological illnesses and behavioral disorders. After injuries and poisonings, mental health was the second most common reason for hospital stays, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Of approximately 435,900 young patients in hospitals, 19 percent were treated for psychological illnesses and behavioral disorders. The data refers to children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17.
Girls were more affected than boys. "In recent years, the proportion of children and adolescents treated in hospitals for psychological illnesses and behavioral disorders has been increasing," the federal statisticians said. In 2012, the figure was 13 percent of the approximately 589,900 young hospital patients.
Depression is the most common cause
The most common reason for treating psychologically ill children and adolescents in hospitals, according to the Federal Statistical Office, is depression - in 2022, there were around 22,600 cases. This corresponds to more than a quarter (28 percent) of all cases in which young people were treated in hospitals for psychological illnesses.
"There are objectively more cases of depression among adolescents after Corona than we had before Corona," says Renate Schepker of the German Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy (DGKJP) to the German Press Agency. The "naive worldview" of children and adolescents has sometimes been "virtually destroyed" by the pandemic and other catastrophes, "such as wars in the world and all kinds of events that make life difficult," says Schepker.
Number of substance use disorders increased
Among the psychological illnesses and behavioral disorders are also those caused by alcohol: for example, consequences of alcohol abuse and acute alcohol poisoning or dependency or withdrawal syndromes. In 2022, alcohol-related cases made up around 8,800, the second most common diagnosis for children and adolescents (11 percent).
"Adolescents unfortunately drink almost as much as before the pandemic," emphasizes Schepker. In severe cases, she sees an increase. "Those who are really dependent and need detoxification, webbing: We have more severe cases than a few years ago." During the Corona period, some adolescents became detached from the education system, dropped out of school or training, and then increasingly turned to various addictive substances. "On top of that, the drug market is flooded with dangerous substances, more and more synthetic drugs," explains Schepker, who is herself the head of two addiction stations for children.
Change can also be stressful
In around 7,900 or 10 percent of the cases of treated children and adolescents, reactions to severe stress and adjustment disorders were the focus of treatment. "These can be caused by the occurrence of unusually stressful life events or by special changes in life that lead to a persistently unpleasant situation," explain the statisticians.
"The vast majority of psychologically ill children and adolescents, however, are treated ambulatorily, not in hospitals," says Schepker. Many lighter cases do not have to be treated in a clinic, there are many "who do wonderfully with outpatient treatment."
Health and safety measures are essential in hospitals to ensure the well-being of patients with psychological illnesses and behavioral disorders. Frequently, these young patients require a secure and calm environment to aid in their recovery.
Incorporating health and safety protocols, such as proper staff training, adequate supervision, and the availability of crisis management resources, can significantly impact the treatment outcomes and overall well-being of these patients.
