4 graphs show how much mental disorders have increased among young people

It is already known that the demand for psychological care during the corona pandemic massively exceeded the supply. It is now clear that young women in particular have sought psychiatric help in the hospital over the past two years.

Between 2020 and 2021, the number of hospital admissions for mental and behavioral problems among girls and young women aged 10 to 24 increased by 26 percent. In men of the same age, the increase was only 6 percent in the same period, the Federal Bureau of Statistics (BFS) announced on Monday.

With 19,532 hospital admissions, mental disorders were the leading reason for hospital admissions for the first time among 10- to 24-year-olds and accounted for a rate of 22.3 percent in this age group. However, among adults aged 25 and older, hospital admissions for mental and behavioral problems remained almost constant with a moderate increase of one percent.

In the first year of the pandemic, the most common disorders in young women were affective disorders, including mainly depression, according to the BFS. In young men, on the other hand, disorders caused by psychotropic substances (e.g. psychotropic drugs or hallucinogens) predominated. In the second year of the corona pandemic, affective disorders also increased sharply in young men and there was a particular increase in young women.

Thanks to various field studies, it is already known that the corona crisis hit young people more psychologically than the elderly, as they were already in a challenging life phase. During the pandemic, it was even more difficult to complete an internship or start a career as several training centers were closed. In addition, the economic difficulties caused by the pandemic hindered the family’s separation process. Due to the measures imposed, the young people had to severely limit their social life, which affected the development of relationships with their peers.

However, it is not yet entirely clear why girls are affected so much more than boys. Oliver Bilke-Hentsch, president of the association of child and adolescent psychiatrists in Switzerland, explained in an interview with the Tages-Anzeiger in early January that girls are probably just more sensitive and therefore better able to deal with their worries and problems . address them as boys. “Boys suffer less than girls. On the contrary, they tend to suppress their fears and problems.”

However, it is mainly girls who suffer from severe depression and find their lives, or at least many aspects of them, meaningless. “For example, they wonder if it’s even worth learning or striving for in life.” This phenomenon has exploded during the pandemic.