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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 it 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 the University Hospitals Geneva (HUG) recorded nine suicide attempts in October and five in November, compared to one and 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: “The problems were not solved, they were postponed.” 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 of the reasons for this was the closure of schools: “After the summer break, the weaker children noticed 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 problems are the focus and we are forgetting a bit about the psychological consequences of this pandemic, which could be more serious for young people than for adults,” said Kerstin von Plessen.
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.
Are you also very concerned about the crown crisis? You can find support here:
- At www.dureschnufe.ch
- Telephone advice at 143, Die Dargebotene Hand
- Pro Mente Sana counseling hotline: 0848800858
- Pro Juventute emergency number for children and young people: 147
- Notice to parents Pro Juventute: Telephone 058 261 61 61
- Basel University Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), patient admission / emergencies: 061325 51 00
- Basel Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic: 061325 82 00 In case of emergency: 061325 51 11
- Baselland Central Psychiatric Admission, Adult Emergency Number: 061553 56 56
- Baselland central psychiatry admission, emergency number for children and adolescents: 061553 55 55
- Emergency and Crisis Ambulance (NoKiA), Olten: 062 311 52 10
- Psychiatric services for children and adolescents (Olten): 062 311 20 10
