Children's mental health in danger: Researchers raise the alarm!

Children's mental health in danger: Researchers raise the alarm!

The alarming reports on the mental health of young people are increasing, and a new report by the State Audit Office in Upper Austria brings the worrying situation on the table. According to Dagmar Häusler, the deputy federal party chairman of MFG-Austria, children and adolescents experienced a harmful influence during the Corona crisis through exaggerated measures that led to a dramatic increase in psychological problems. "The mental health of our children was deliberately jeopardized," said Häusler. The lack of therapists in child and adolescent psychiatry is particularly worrying. The report speaks of a third of a lack of specialists, which means that the waiting lists are getting longer and more and more children have to wait for urgently needed help, as well as on OTS reported.

These problems are not only noticeable, but also have national dimensions. A study carried out during the pandemic showed that almost a third of the interviewed children and adolescents had psychological abnormalities, with girls in particular being affected. Time and duration of the waiting times for therapy places are also alarming: During the pandemic, the waiting time in many practices doubled from three to six months, and it is currently still about five months. According to the President of the German Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Marcel Romanos, the practices are overflowing, and there is a lack of effective prevention programs, which can be understood as a direct consequence of social stress such as climate change and economic uncertainties, as can be understood on Deutschlandfunk reported.

The consequences of pandemic to mental health

The studies show a "residual shade" of pandemic, with an increase in loneliness and psychological problems among young people. The need for a fundamental rethink in health policy becomes increasingly clear. Experts are calling for better social acceptance and treatment of mental illnesses as well as a broader involvement of specialists to support. Political responsibility for the mental health of young people suffering from the consequences of the Corona measures is under discussion, while the demands for immediate measures become louder. At a time when mental illnesses should no longer be taboo, the question remains whether society is willing to take the necessary steps to tackle this crisis.