Anxiety and depression

Psyche of minors under persistent strain

21 percent of young people reported a reduced quality of life.

(Bild: ANDRII BILETSKYI, stock.adobe.com)

Even after the coronavirus pandemic, children and young people are still suffering from severe psychological stress. Covid-19 was followed by the war in Ukraine, economic uncertainty and other crises. A fifth of adolescents report a reduced quality of life or mental health problems.

"Our COPSY study* shows a significant deterioration in the mental health of children and adolescents at the beginning of the pandemic and a slow improvement in the following years. However, we are now finding that these figures are stagnating and are still high compared to pre-pandemic data. In the meantime, well-being is no longer affected by the corona pandemic," says Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer, Director of the Research Section for Public Health in Childhood and Adolescence at Hamburg University Hospital (UKE)

She continues: "Now fears, especially in connection with global conflicts and the climate crisis, are affecting quality of life and well-being."

21 percent of young people reported a reduced quality of life.

(Bild: ANDRII BILETSKYI, stock.adobe.com)

Reduced quality of life
"The quality of life of children and young people deteriorated significantly at the beginning of the pandemic (...). In winter 2020/21 in particular, during the second lockdown in Germany, almost half of children and young people (48%) reported a reduced quality of life. The quality of life of children and young people then improved again in 2022 and 2023. However, this trend did not continue in the fall of 2024 (seventh survey round). 21% of young people continued to report a reduced quality of life.

A similar picture emerged for mental health problems. "They initially increased significantly to 30% during the course of the pandemic and then fell again in 2022/2023. Today, 22% of children and adolescents still suffer from mental health problems, which is also around 5% more than before the pandemic," say the German experts.

• "In the fall of 2023, in the sixth round of the survey, around half of children and young people stated that they were worried to varying degrees about various crises, especially global conflicts such as wars, terrorism, the economic crisis and the climate crisis. One year later, the proportion of children and young people who are worried about these issues has risen significantly. 

• A similar progression over time was also observed for anxiety symptoms and signs of depression. Loneliness is also a key issue for young people. 21% of respondents stated that they felt lonely. Before the pandemic, this figure was only 14 percent. 

*As part of their scientific work, the UKE scientists are investigating the effects and consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and global crises on the mental health and well-being of children and young people in Germany. To date, a total of 2865 families with children and young people aged between seven and 22 have taken part in at least one of the seven survey waves from May 2020 to October 2024. Eleven to 22-year-olds completed their online questionnaires themselves. Parents responded for the seven to ten-year-olds.