More than two years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the adolescent mental health remains compromised. “The data collected for the year 2021 and early 2022 show an increase in mental health issues among adolescents compared to previous years.indicated Public Health France in a report published on March 14, 2022.
In this worrying context, the Defender of Rights, Claire Hédon, and her deputy, the Children’s Defender, Eric Delmar, called on Wednesday 1er June the new Prime Minister to take into account the seriousness of the situation and launch an emergency plan for the mental health of young people in a communicatedjudging the present means “largely insufficient”.
As early as November 2021, Claire Hédon warned about the mental health of children, with the publication of an annual report devoted to the rights of the child and had already noted a increase in depressive disorders and insufficient psychiatric care. “The health crisis has considerably reduced the social interactions that are essential to the psychic construction of adolescents. Indeed, while the peak of hospitalizations for adolescents in 2021 does not come down, the situation of some of these minors remains dramatic, as the care is sometimes unsuitable.notes the press release.
Bed closures despite rise in hospital admissions
And despite this increase in cases, structures continue to close child psychiatry beds, in particular due to lack of resources and personnel. “The lack of care for mental health disorders and the resulting breaches of rights constitute an obstacle to the proper development of the child and to his best interests, which two years of epidemic waves have contributed to aggravate in a very worrying way..”
While 2022 has been designated as theeuropean year of youththe Defender of Rights makes several requests to the government, in particular:
- To strengthen the houses for adolescents in each department of France and secure their funding;
- Of strengthen the medical staff in schoolsby the presence of more nurses and doctors;
- To strengthen the means of inclusive schooling, so that all children with disabilities can be directed to establishments adapted to their needs and have access to human aid.
Source :
- Press release, Defender of Rights – French Republic, June 1, 2022
Read also:
- Ill-being of adolescents: dialogue, a key to preventing risks
- Anxiety, depression in children or adolescents… What signs should alert parents?
- Teen suicide: what are the warning signs?