Children: ADHD among children has increased significantly after corona

The number of children in the Rhineland who require care for ADHD and developmental disorders has increased dramatically since the coronavirus pandemic. This is the conclusion of a report by the North Rhine Health Service for 2019 to 2023, which has been made available to the DPA. «We can only determine the numbers, but the temporal relationship suggests that there is also a causal relationship crown There,” a spokesman said. The North Rhine Health Service is responsible for the western part of the state, excluding Westphalia.

In 2019, primary school children (7-10 years old) required care for about 400 times due to “simple activity and attention disorders”. In 2022, after the coronavirus pandemic, 916 cases were registered, and this number rose to 1,328 in 2023, the report said. The total number of pervasive developmental disorders (which also includes autism and Asperger’s syndrome) in this age group increased significantly after the coronavirus pandemic – from 764 cases in 2019 to 1,426 in 2022 and 1,911 in 2023.

The trend is even more pronounced among young people aged 11 to 17: in 2019, about 300 people reported needing care. ADHD As of 2023, nearly 1,300 cases have been confirmed.

The report says that the need for care has increased sharply across all age groups: the number of reports increased by almost half to 395,000 from 2019 to 2023. On average, adults are more likely to need care than four years ago: last year it was 72 years for men (2019: 73 years) and 73 years for women (2019: 76 years).

The health service has called on politicians to better promote outpatient care services in light of the rapid increase in demand. Those who need care often suffer from isolation and complain about a lack of information about the support provided by care insurance.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:240807-930-196235/1