Diakonie: Young people continue to suffer from the consequences of the pandemic

Diaconia Saxony believes that children and young people are still suffering from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Their mental health must be given greater consideration in political decisions, the social service of the Protestant church announced with regard to a meeting of the parliamentary commission of inquiry on the pandemic. The commission has planned a public hearing this Thursday.

Giving priority to the experiences of young people

"The experiences and burdens of young people during and after the coronavirus pandemic must finally be given priority and heard," said Dietrich Bauer, CEO of Diakonie Sachsen. "Their experiences are crucial when it comes to learning lessons from the pandemic and further developing existing structures and making them more crisis-proof," added Kathleen Jevlasch, a consultant for child and youth welfare at Diakonie Sachsen.

Depression, anxiety, isolation

Many children and young people are still suffering from anxiety, depression and isolation, explained Jevlasch. They had lost valuable learning time, which impaired their educational opportunities. "The school closures, the loss of social contacts and the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic have shaped an entire generation. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that therapeutic services and advice centers for young people are overloaded or non-existent in many places in Saxony."

Since 2023, an interdisciplinary working group under the direction of Diakonie has been dedicated to the consequences of the pandemic for children and young people. The starting point was numerous reports from child and youth welfare services, school social work and youth social work, which recorded a significant increase in mental illness and social-emotional problems. The working group has now formulated demands. They aim to systematically strengthen psychosocial help, educational support and social participation.