Home schooling, contact bans and a lot of loneliness: the consequences of the corona pandemic for children are becoming increasingly clear. Experts are now registering a sharp increase in developmental disorders.
Almost three years ago, there was already a sharp increase in outpatient treatment in mental health facilities for young patients. Child and youth therapists were suddenly fully booked.
However, the full consequences of the Corona period for children were not yet foreseeable at the time. Today we know, for example, that closed daycare centers and schools on the language and vision of children has had an impact. Depression and eating disorders increased.
► A report by the North Rhine Medical Service from 2019 to 2023 now shows further alarming figures on the mental health of children.
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Developmental disorders caused by Corona
According to the report, the number of children in the Rhineland requiring care due to severe ADHD and other developmental disorders has increased following the corona pandemic. A spokeswoman explained that the temporal connection indicates a possible connection with corona.
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In 2019, the “Simple Activity and Attention deficit disorder“ was the reason for the need for care in primary school children (7-10 years) about 400 times. After the Corona pandemic, the number rose to 916 cases in 2022 and 1328 cases in 2023.
Pervasive developmental disorders such as autism and Asperger syndrome also increased massively: from 764 cases in 2019 to 1426 in 2022 and 1911 in 2023.
The trend is also evident among young people between the ages of eleven and 17: in 2019, around 300 people were in need of care due to ADHD diagnosed, almost 1300 times in 2023.
► According to the report, the need for care has increased sharply across all age groups. The number of reports increased by almost half to 395,000 between 2019 and 2023.
Due to the rapidly growing demand, the Medical Service is appealing to politicians to better promote outpatient care services. People in need of care often suffer from loneliness and are unaware of the support offered by nursing care insurance.
