School and daycare closures due to Corona in autumn?

Medical association warns urgently of psychological consequences

Created: 06/17/2022, 16:57

By: Kai Hartwig

The psychological effects of the corona pandemic on children and young people are probably enormous.

An expert therefore calls for schools and daycare centers to be left open.

Berlin – According to doctors, the corona pandemic has caused an increase in mental disorders among children and young people.

For this reason, the Professional Association of Pediatricians (BVKJ) warns against closing schools and daycare centers again in the fall if the corona situation deteriorates.

Corona: Medical Association wants to prevent renewed school and daycare closures in Germany

"We currently do not know whether the children's resilience will be sufficient to overcome the disorders and deficits," said BVKJ President Thomas Fischbach on Friday (June 17).

The doctor therefore considers it urgently necessary to subject educational institutions to protective measures, but not to close them.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach also announced in the morning at the federal press conference on Friday that he wanted to prevent school and daycare closures “by all means”.

With its appeal, the BVKJ refers to data collection by the health insurance company DAK.

This examined the data of 800,000 children and young people in Germany.

The analysis showed that in 2021 compared to the previous year, a total of 42 percent more young people between the ages of twelve and 18 had to be admitted to clinics due to emotional disorders.

Study: Strong increase in mental disorders among children and adolescents as a result of Corona

Depression and anxiety disorders were also among these cases.

There was an eleven percent increase among school children aged ten to fourteen.

In addition, the number of depressive episodes increased significantly in the previous year.

Compared to 2020, these were 28 percent more common among 12 to 18 year olds.

For ten to fourteen-year-olds, the value increased almost equally at 27 percent.

Some schools had to close during the corona pandemic.

(Iconic image) © Sebastian Kahnert/dpa

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Corona: Significantly more eating and anxiety disorders among children and adolescents

More children and adolescents also suffered from eating and anxiety disorders in 2021 than in the previous year.

17 percent more adolescents and 21 percent more school children were hospitalized for eating disorders.

Anxiety disorders required treatment in three percent more adolescents and 25 percent more schoolchildren.

The BVKJ President considers the therapy options to be clearly in need of improvement, not only because of the increase in mental disorders in children and adolescents due to the corona pandemic.

"Of course we need more therapy places to shorten waiting times - that was already a drama before the pandemic," explained Fischbach.

(kh with dpa)