Title: Concerning Rising Mental Health Issues among Hesse's Children and Young Adults
The DAK health insurer reveals a troubling trend in Hesse, with mental health issues in children and adolescents remaining at alarmingly high levels. A recent review of the Children and Adolescents Report revealed that over 8,500 adolescent girls in 2022 were diagnosed with a mental illness or behavioral disorder. Boys, though less often diagnosed, may be underrepresented due to undiagnosed cases.
Britta Dalhoff, DAK's regional office head, expressed concern, urging prioritization of children's health and expanding preventative services. "Many young people in Hesse are struggling," she stated. "They need our support, and families must be actively involved."
Ralf Moebus, state chairman of the Professional Association of Pediatricians and Adolescent Doctors in Hesse, backed her statement. He attributed the rise in mental health issues to external factors, such as climate change, wars, and political crises, which contribute to young people experiencing anxiety and depression. Parents, juggling stress and limited resources, face difficulties addressing their children's concerns.
Boys and girls manifest stress differently, said Moebus. Girls are more prone to anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and eating disorders, while boys often withdraw, become overly engaged in digital worlds, or exhibit unusual social behavior.
Analyzing billing data for 87,200 children and adolescents up to 17 and insured by DAK-Gesundheit in Hesse, researchers discovered worrying trends. Anonymized data from 2017 to 2022 was examined in collaboration with Vandage Health Economics & Analytics GmbH and Bielefeld University.
Potential Solutions
Germany's mental health landscape is broadly analyzed in the scoping review on outpatient psychotherapeutic care for children and adolescents. The review suggests the following interventions to address the high prevalence of mental health issues:
- Comprehensive Evaluations: Regular, multimodal, and prolonged assessments of children and adolescents can enhance access to outpatient psychotherapeutic care in Hesse.
- Expanding Treatment Capacities: Increasing the number of child and adolescent psychologists and psychotherapists in relation to the population can improve access to treatment.
- Flagship Project: Implementation of the European Commission's Flagship project on mental healthcare for children and adolescents could serve as a model for Hesse.
- Low-Threshold Support: Enhancing services like school-based counseling, family counseling centers, and digital anonymized support can improve mental health access in Hesse.
- Guideline-Based Psychotherapy Treatment: Promoting and increasing access to evidence-based psychological treatments can help mitigate waiting times.
- Addressing Barriers to Care: Awareness campaigns and stigma reduction efforts are crucial to addressing mental health care barriers associated with lack of understanding, stigma, and socio-economic status.
- Continuous Data Collection: Regular data collection and discussion can help address the evolving mental health needs of children and adolescents driven by societal and global changes.
As mental health concerns escalate among children and adolescents in Hesse, these interventions could attract attention and serve as starting points for positive change. Together, we can work towards creating a healthier and more supportive environment for the future generation.
References:
- Stocks, P., Pritz, M., Scharf, S., & Kostanyan, T. (2021). Outpatient psychotherapeutic care for children and adolescents in Germany: A systematic review. BMC Psychiatry, 21(1), 84. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7914037/
