“More therapy places alone are not enough”

Psychological problems among young people are on the rise. The number of crisis interventions due to the risk of suicide has doubled, young people often wait a long time before they get help because there are not enough places and there is a lack of specialists. Experts see an urgent need for action – and gradually politicians too.

Mr. Bischoff, young people and children in the canton of Zurich must have a Awaiting clarification from a psychiatrist. Also experience the situation so serious?
Corsin Bischoff: Yes, with certain psychological complaints you have to wait a long time for an appointment. About up Autism Reviews there are an incredible number of applications. It works in very acute cases usual faster. Anyone having urgent suicidal thoughts should get an appointment immediately.

What does it mean when you have to wait so long for help?
Because of the waiting times, problems are often only addressed when they are too serious. Than maybe already required hospital stay. If the child had been treated six months earlier, only a few appointments might have been needed.

Do you have an example?
In the case of a family conflict, for example, family counseling can often help. But if that doesn’t happen, the conflicts will get worse and a child will become depressed or severely frustrated, for example. This can then transfer to the school. And if the problem just now so big, with a few therapy sessions it is not solved.

Why do children and young people stay so long have to wait for medical help?
Even when I started working in child psychiatry 16 years ago, there were more applications than therapy places. But it wasn’t as bad as it is now. Especially with that Pandemic the situation became more dramatic.

Where do you see the most urgent need for action?
There is no easy solution. It requires a lot of measures. More therapy places alone are not enough. As a society, we must also ensure that children and young people are less burdened. Measures are needed in schools to ensure that this causes less stress. Help in families would also be needed. I very often experience parents as self-burdened, which in turn has consequences for the children.

Junge Mitte calls for measures to ensure that the mentally ill Children and young people are treated by specialists within four weeks become. What does it take and is it even possible?
Not every child who is registered will necessarily need treatment within four weeks. For example, if you have learning or concentration problems, you can wait a little longer. So it lasts for now a good estimate of how urgent a treatment is. If it is urgent, an appointment must be possible within four weeks, sometimes within one to two weeks. This requires more therapy places with psychiatrists and psychologists in practice and the outpatient clinics of the cantonal psychiatric services should be expanded considerably.

The Kantonsspital Winterthur, where you work, has its hospitalization Larger section for children and young people. Has the situation improved since then?
There has been a lot of stationing in the canton of Zurich in the past two years. Numerous clinics have expanded their places and their offer. Now it would also be necessary to expand the outpatient clinic places. It is extremely difficult to find a place, especially for those who need longer psychotherapy.

What is the fastest way to get help as a victim?
It is unfortunately the case that the suffering or the problem family member must be serious. Then it takes a lot of energy and patience from the parents, who have to make inquiries in many places. Sometimes it helps to contact your family doctor or pediatrician, who may have direct contact with psychiatrists or psychotherapists.

More and more young people need psychiatric help. Is youth more vulnerable than before?
Just after the Corona lockdowns we had a lot of young people who were doing very badly. This was also reflected in many suicide attempts. This situation has improved somewhat. But in general, we still have many young people complaining about pressure, bullying and loneliness. The reasons for this are diverse. The current crisis mood, shaped by climate change, Pandemic and war may be a reason, or the increased social pressure through social media. Maybe today as a young person you can no longer be as carefree and happy as you were 30 years ago.

Is it easier for today’s youth to get help?
The subject is more present in the media and therefore perhaps less stigmatized. It used to be thought that you only went to a psychiatrist if you were completely insane. Today it is more acceptable to get help. At least I hope so.

Source:Blick

Livingstone

I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.