DAK Report - Young girls struggle with depression and anxiety
The number of girls between the ages of 15 and 17 being treated for mental illnesses remains high in Thuringia, according to data from health insurer DAK-Gesundheit. Depression, anxiety and eating disorders are more common than before the coronavirus pandemic, the health insurance company reported in its report on children and adolescents, which focuses primarily on the situation of young girls. It examined outpatient and inpatient data from insured persons in the state between 2017 and 2022.
After a significant increase in new mental illnesses during the first two coronavirus years, there was a decline in 2022. "Nevertheless, the treatment figures remained higher than before the pandemic," the report states. DAK state head Marcus Kaiser spoke out in favor of better prevention.
According to the evaluation, 18 percent fewer young girls received a diagnosis of mental illness and behavioral disorders last year than in 2021. Compared to 2019, however, this was ten percent more. For boys in this age group, there was a seven percent increase in new cases from 2021 to 2022. However, the number of male teenagers was eight percent below the pre-corona level.
According to the data, the trend in eating disorders among teenage girls was particularly dramatic: New cases increased by 38 percent last year compared to 2021, according to the report. Compared to the pre-corona year 2019, the figures rose by 68 percent.
Teenage boys are less likely to receive treatment for mental illness or behavioral disorders. According to the 2019 report, they had a new illness rate of around 67 per 1,000 insured persons, while young girls had a rate of 89 per 1,000 insured persons. In 2022, the rate for boys had fallen to around 61, while it had risen to 99 for girls.
"Girls react differently to psychological stress than boys and are more likely to seek help. That's why we have to make sure that boys don't fall through the cracks," said the DAK state representative.
According to the health insurance fund, researchers from the University of Bielefeld, among others, examined billing data from around 17,600 children and young people up to and including the age of 17 who are insured with DAK for the report. According to the health insurance fund, it has 5.5 million policyholders nationwide, around 130,000 of them in Thuringia.
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- Despite the decrease in new mental illnesses in 2022, the number of treatments for these conditions in Thuringia's young girls remains higher than before the Coronavirus pandemic, as reported in DAK-Gesundheit's annual report on children and adolescents.
- The DAK report reveals that depression, anxiety, and eating disorders are more common in girls aged 15-17 in Thuringia than before the Coronavirus outbreak, with eating disorders showing a particularly dramatic increase among this age group.
- The study conducted by researchers from the University of Bielefeld, using billing data from around 17,600 DAK-insured children and young people in Thuringia, found that the new illness rate for young boys is significantly lower than that of young girls, reflecting boys' lower tendency to seek treatment for mental illness or behavioral disorders.
- According to the DAK report, the treatment figures for mental illnesses in Thuringia's young girls were 18% lower in 2022 than in the previous year but still 10% higher than before the Coronavirus pandemic.
- In addition to mental illnesses, the DAK report also covers the Health situation of children and adolescents in Thuringia, highlighting the importance of addressing the rising number of treatments for mental illnesses and providing adequate resources and support for all children, regardless of gender.
Source: www.stern.de
