Almost every third child suffers from mental disorders one year after the start of the corona pandemic. Pediatricians demand: Leave schools and daycare centers open.
The lockdown and the corona pandemic are anything but without a trace for the children – almost every third child shows behavioral problems or warning signs for depression. In the discussion about stricter corona rules, paediatricians are urging to keep schools and kindergartens open for as long as possible.
“School closings should really be the last option,” said the Vice President of the German Society for Child and Adolescent Medicine (DGKJ), Ingeborg Krägeloh-Mann, to the German press agency. According to the results of the COPSY study, which was carried out by the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and published on the website of the Science Information Service (idw), the corona pandemic is particularly bad for children.
What is the COPSY study?
The COPSY study examines the effects and consequences of the corona pandemic on the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents in Germany. From mid-December 2020 to mid-January 2021, more than 1,000 children and adolescents between the ages of seven and 17 and more than 1,600 parents were surveyed using online questionnaires. More than 80 percent of the children and parents surveyed had already taken part in an initial survey in June 2020. The eleven to 17 year olds filled out their own questionnaires. For the seven to 10 year olds, the parents answered.
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Pediatricians are calling for schools and daycare centers to leave open: More depressed children
In the article on idw-online.de Saskia Lemm says: “The quality of life and the mental health of children and adolescents in Germany has deteriorated further in the course of the corona pandemic. Almost every third child suffers from psychological problems less than a year after the start of the pandemic. Worries and fears have increased again, and depressive symptoms and psychosomatic complaints can also be observed more intensely. “
According to the study, children and adolescents from socially disadvantaged backgrounds or with a migrant background are particularly hard hit. The head of the COPSY study, Prof. Dr. Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer, calls for “more reliable concepts to support children from high-risk families in particular and to strengthen their mental health.” And further: “Overall, we have to take greater account of the mental stresses and needs of families and children during the pandemic and during a lockdown . “
The results of the COPSY study indicate that four out of five of the children and adolescents surveyed feel stressed by the corona pandemic. Seven in ten children say their quality of life has deteriorated over the course of the pandemic. Almost every third child is currently suffering from mental health problems around a year after the start of the pandemic – the children’s fears and worries have increased significantly compared to the first survey.
Pediatricians are calling for schools and daycare centers to be left open – the effects on infection rates are unclear
The medical professor Ingeborg Krägeloh-Mann now called for smaller children to be assessed differently than adults or adolescents. They are probably even less involved in the infection process “and more dependent on classroom teaching”. According to Krägeloh-Mann, the currently increasing numbers of corona cases recorded in this age group are due to an increase in the number of tests. This would mean more cases from the unreported number compared to before.
More and more children are suffering from the corona pandemic, especially psychologically – almost every third child shows behavioral problems. (Symbol image)
© Uwe Anspach / dpa
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According to the findings of the DGKJ and the Professional Association of Pediatricians (BVKJ) and other experts, children and adolescents currently do not contribute more to the infection process than other age groups. “Access to education and participation are very valuable assets and should be given a lot of consideration when weighing up the measures against the spread of the pandemic,” write the associations.
In general, when schools are closed, the benefits must be weighed against the possible damage, said Krägeloh-Mann. At the moment, every school in Baden-Württemberg seems to handle it differently when it comes to face-to-face teaching. Depending on the 7-day incidence, the schools have various options for offering face-to-face or alternating tuition as well as homeschooling. Rapid tests should preferably be used.
How do I recognize depression (in my child?)
Depression can express itself in very different ways – the most important thing is to offer help to the child or affected person, to have the depression diagnosed by a doctor and to undertake appropriate therapy. Mental illnesses such as depression are covered by statutory health insurance.
While depression manifests itself differently in everyone, there are a few key characteristics and symptoms that can indicate depression in children. These include:
- sad facial expression / reduced gestures and facial expressions
- increased irritability, increased crying
- Over-attached / child cannot be alone
- self-stimulating behavior: rocking the body, excessive thumb sucking
indifference - Loss of appetite, eating and sleeping disorders
- Mood swings, anxiety, irritability, aggressive behavior
- lack of ability to be happy
- Apathy and listlessness, listlessness, lack of concentration
- Inhibition of thinking, difficulty concentrating and memory disorders
- inappropriate guilt and self-criticism
- psychomotor inhibition (e.g. slow movements, sunken posture)
- Decreased self-confidence, self-doubt
- Suicidal ideation
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More behavioral problems in children: where can I get help for my child?
How can children who display behavioral problems or warnings for depression be helped? The right contact person is primarily the pediatrician or, in the case of older children, the family doctor. If necessary, he or she will refer you and your child to a specialist or therapist. The same of course also applies to all adults.
The corona pandemic is a very stressful exceptional situation that has already become permanent. If you notice symptoms of depression in yourself, your child or another person, seek professional help. Getting help is not a weakness – no one has to go through this pandemic alone.
There is also free support for telephone counseling by telephone on the numbers: 0800 111 0 111, 0800 111 0 222 or 116 123 as well as by email and chat at online.telefonseelsorge.de. Young people under the age of 19 can also contact the JugendNotmail. 112 should always be dialed for medical emergencies.
Rubriklistenbild: © Jason Tschepljakow/imago-images
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