Depression, anxiety: one in four students has a mental problem
A large part of the school children in Germany, shows psychological problems to depression and anxiety disorders, the need to be hospitalized. And the trend is rising. This is from the child and youth report of the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit, a study by the University of Bielefeld, which is based on billing data of the years 2016 and 2017 of around 800,000 minors are Insured.
According to the Report, every fourth student suffers between the ages of ten and 17 years under mental abnormalities: two percent have a diagnosed Depression, when, once again, as many an anxiety disorder. High a total of approximately 238,000 children in this age group are expected in Germany so severely affected that you see a doctor.
Almost eight percent of depressed children and adolescents come within a year to the hospital, on average, for 39 days. After the dismissal an appropriate outpatient is often lacking follow-up. Result: Almost one out of every four of these children will be treated within two years of the multi-stationary.
The number of young patients is increasing
The number of children and young people with depression has risen in 2017, compared to the previous year by five percent. It meets girl far more often: In the upper school classes are twice as many girls as boys suffer from medically diagnosed depression.
Certain school children have a greatly increased risk for Depression. This includes children with a chronic physical illness, Obesity or pain include. Also, children of mentally ill or addicted parents are much more vulnerable to develop a depressive disorder.
The professional Association of child and youth doctors welcomed the new Report: "For the first time, with health insurance data to substantiate the findings to early mental health problems are very valuable. In the Report, we see only the tip of the iceberg. We expect a high number of unreported cases aus", President Dr. Thomas Fischbach says. "There are very many children, the suffering, and to come late to us in the practices. Only if you have a diagnosis, they will be in this statistic." The Report should now form the basis to improve the care of children and young people.
DAK/RF