Health
10 to 17-year-olds: Mental illnesses are a top clinical reason
The proportion of hospital treatments for mental illnesses is increasing continuously. photo
© Marijan Murat/dpa
Why do children and young people have to go to the hospital? Statisticians have now presented figures on this.
Mental and behavioral disorders were the most common cause of inpatient hospital treatment for older children and adolescents in 2021. Almost 81,000 of the approximately 427,600 hospital patients aged 10 to 17 were therefore treated as inpatients, the Federal Statistical Office announced on Thursday in Wiesbaden. This corresponded to 19 percent of all hospital treatments in this age group.
With a good 79,700 cases (also 19 percent), injuries and poisoning were the second most common reason for children and adolescents to be hospitalized in 2021, followed by symptoms for which no more specific diagnosis could be made (11 percent). These include abdominal and pelvic pain, fainting and collapse or headaches.
Depression is the most common reason for treatment
The most common reason for treatment of mentally ill people Children and adolescents were depressed (a good 21,900 cases). Mental illnesses and behavioral disorders also include those caused by alcohol. They include the consequences of alcohol abuse and acute alcohol poisoning. With 9300 cases, alcohol-related treatments were the second most common diagnosis in mentally ill 10- to 17-year-olds, followed by reactions to severe stress and adjustment disorders (7700).
According to the Federal Office, the proportion of treatments for mental illnesses in all hospital stays of children and adolescents is increasing continuously. In 2011, 75,200 of the 588,300 patients aged 10 to 17 years were hospitalized with mental illnesses. With a share of 13 percent, this was the second most common reason after injuries and poisoning (20 percent). The same applies to the pre-Corona year 2019 with a share of 16 percent, even if in absolute numbers slightly more children were treated for mental illnesses and behavioral disorders than in 2021.
Overall, there has been a decline in inpatient hospital treatment among 10 to 17-year-olds from a good 533,400 in the pre-corona year 2019 to around 427,600 in 2021. According to the Federal Office, this is due to the pandemic. The high utilization of hospitals by Covid 19 patients, the keeping of bed capacities free and stricter hygiene concepts have led to planned treatments being postponed. In addition, many people would probably have avoided hospital stays if they did not consider them absolutely necessary.