Corona: The psyche of young people is suffering from the pandemic

Anxiety and suicidal thoughts: young people suffer from Corona measures

The coronavirus pandemic puts pressure on the psyche of children and adolescents. University hospitals in Switzerland report an influx of young patients, both internal and external.

Meeting friends, worry-free preparing for the Christmas party or planning the summer holidays in a good mood – the current situation makes all this difficult. And it hits children and young people in the mind, as reported by various media.

“Every year in the fall, we see an increase in requests for inpatient and outpatient treatment. But I have never seen an increase like this year »said Alain Di Gallo, director of the Clinic for Children and Adolescents at the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK), in an interview with Keystone-SDA. It is clear that crisis situations are increasing and the waiting list for outpatient care is very long.

Suicidal thoughts and anxiety.

Children are a particularly vulnerable group, the psychiatrist said. The insecurities of parents, of exhausted teachers, of not being able to find friends without worries, that does not leave them without a trace.

In fact, the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) reported that the number of requests for hospital treatment had increased by 50 percent in the summer compared to the same period last year. Consultations on outpatient care would also increase, added Kerstin von Plessen, head of CHUV’s university department of child and adolescent psychiatry. The reasons: anxiety, mood swings, or suicidal thoughts. The University Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of Bern (UPD) observed similar figures.

The Malatavie suicide prevention and therapy center at Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) recorded nine suicide attempts in October and five in November. compared to one or two in the previous year. “We are very concerned because we know that suicide is contagious among young people,” said Anne Edan.

The Zurich University Psychiatric Clinic (PUK), for its part, did not register any increase in the area of ​​hospitalization. But since the beginning of the school there has been a large increase in emergency contacts, the PUK wrote on request. Throughout the year, the clinic expects an increase of more than thirty percent.

The barrel has overflowed

During the partial lockdown in spring, there were still no increases. Outpatient application numbers have even tended to decline. The children had significantly less school pressure, fewer obligations, and less stress in their free time.

And fewer people would likely have sought help because the population was advised to stay home if possible, di Gallo said. But:

Now the barrel has overflowed.

According to the psychiatrist, children from families that were in a difficult or socially disadvantaged situation before Corona are particularly affected. One reason for this was school closures: “After the summer holidays, the weaker children realized that they had been left behind.” The result: growing concerns and disappointments, which can be seen in aggressive behavior or withdrawal from the social environment.

“Infection issues are at the center of attention and we are forgetting a bit about the psychological consequences of this pandemic, which could be more serious for young people than for adults.”Kerstin von Plessen said.

Cooperation with other institutions

Di Gallo and his team are working on strategies so that no patient is left behind despite the increases. “We choose very carefully who really needs help urgently”, he said. Group therapies are also a way to help more people at the same time.

It also emphasizes the importance of cooperation with other institutions such as children’s and youth homes, as well as the school psychological service. “This way we can try to help most of the children and young people before they have to come to the clinic,” he said. Therefore, the venues remained free for those who need closer supervision. (sda)

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