Swiss Federal Statistics Office Data Shows 'Unprecedented Increase' of Mental Health-Related Hospitalisations Among Children, Teens, and Young Adults in 2021

Admissions due to attempted suicide increased by 26% among 10-24yo girls and women, outpatient psychiatric hospital services by 19%--while no cause is noted, data from 2021 shows the cost of mandates

Another posting, another country. Today it’s Switzerland’s turn to take centre stage, with a media release by the Federal Statistics Office documenting a shocking rise in psychological and mental problems among kids and young adults. As always, translation and emphases mine, followed by a few bottom lines. (If you clicked on the link, it includes an option for the English website, but that particular media statement hasn’t been translated.)

For the translation, see the text below.

Treatment of mental disorders in young people in 2020 and 2021: un unprecedented increase in hospitalisations among 10-24 year old females

Between 2020 and 2021, the number of inpatient hospitalisations for mental and behavioural disorders increased by 26% among girls and young women aged 10-24, and by 6% among men of the same age. For the first time, mental disorders were the most common cause of hospitalisation among 10-24 year olds (19 532 cases), followed by injuries (19 243 cases). Hospital admissions due to suicide attempts increased by 26% in the same age group, outpatient psychiatric hospital services by 19%. This is according to an analysis by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) of the treatment of mental disorders in young people in 2020 and 2021. 

The number of hospitalisations for mental disorders among young people between 10 and 24 years of age increased by 4% in 2020 and by 17% in 2021 [that is, 17% over the 4% increase in the previous year; roughly a quarter up from pre-‘pandemic’ times]. The trend was different for the adult population aged 25 and over, with a very moderate increase of 1% cumulatively over both years. 

Young Women More Affected Than Young Men

Compared to the previous year [2020], there was an unprecedented 26% increase in hospitalisations for mental disorders in 2021 among young women aged 10-24. In 2020, the increase had already been 6%. Between 2012 and 2019, the average annual increase was 3.4%; from 2020 to 2021, the increase was as high as 52% for 10- to 14-year-old girls. In 2021, a total of 2,015 girls in this age group were hospitalised for mental disorders, i.e., one in 100 people in this population group. Among young men aged 10-24, the number of hospitalisations for mental disorders increased more moderately (+2% in 2020, +6% in 2021). 

60% of the 19,532 10-24 year olds hospitalised for mental disorders in 2021 were young women. Among adults aged 25 and over, women and men had similar hospitalisation rates. These have not changed significantly in recent years.

Depressive Disorders Among Young Women Increased Sharply

In 2020, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the most common disorders among young women were affective disorders (mainly depression; +14%) and among young men psychotropic substance disorders (+8%). In 2021, affective disorders also increased significantly among young men (+14%) and there was an extraordinary increase of 42% among young women. Above all, neurotic disorders associated with stress factors increased in 2021 (+22% in young women, +13% in young men). The category of other mental disorders, which includes personality disorders and eating disorders, recorded an increase of 24% in young women in 2021. [remember, these data indicate changes from 2020 to 2021, i.e., the most important baseline to consider are the 3.4% average annual increase between 2012-19]

Over 3,000 Hospital Admissions for Self-Harm

In 2021, 3,124 patients aged 10 to 24 were hospitalised for self-harm or attempted suicide, an increase of 26% compared to 2020. 70% of these hospitalisations involved girls and young women. Self-harm was most common among 15-19 year old females (1,240 hospitalisations in 2021). However, the largest increase (+60%) was in the group of 10- 14-year-old girls. With 458 cases in 2021, girls from this age group were hospitalised eleven times more often for this reason than boys of the same age. 

2021 With Peak Values for New Cases 

The approximately 20,000 hospitalisations for mental and behavioural disorders recorded in 2021 were accounted for by a total of 12 923 children and adolescents aged 10 to 24. Of these approximately 13,000, almost half (6465) had never been hospitalised for mental disorders before [i.e., no history of mental or other pre-existing conditions]. In 2021, the number of new cases was 29% higher than the previous year’s figure and thus significantly higher than the average annual increase of 6% between 2016 and 2020. [again, this shows how ‘unprecedented’ this increase is]

Crisis intervention in the form of rapid treatment of patients with acute mental distress was necessary in 34% of cases. Hospital stays lasted an average of 27 days. 

Increase in Outpatient Psychiatric Treatment 

There was a significant increase in outpatient psychiatric treatment in hospital (excluding hospitalisations) among 10-24 year olds: +4% in 2020 and +16% in 2021. 55,825 young men and women received at least one outpatient psychiatric treatment in hospital, representing 27% of all outpatient psychiatric consultations in hospitals. The gender ratio was more balanced (46 men to 54 women) than for hospitalisations associated with mental disorders (40 men to 60 women). In both the outpatient and inpatient sectors, it was young women between 15 and 19 years of age who made the most frequent use of psychiatric treatment in 2021. 

Further particulars may be found here (PDF).

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Bottom Lines

Do note that, compared to its equally majoritarian German-speaking neighbours (Austria, Germany), Switzerland had the least intrusive and shortest mandates. As someone who lived in Switzerland for almost a decade, I also feel quite competent to render the following additional, if personal, consideration: in general, the Swiss value personal responsibility much more than their neighbours, and the share of the population who espouses healthy criticism of any government measure (which I highly recommend) as a standard operating procedure is, in my recollection and experience, considerably higher than among Germans or Austrians (to say nothing about Norwegians…).

The above information may thus also be considered quite credible and transparent; given the particularities of Switzerland’s less harsh Covid régime, it may also represent insights into what I think should be called the tip of the iceberg. I think it’s axiomatic that these indicators, were they collected and analysed as such, would look (far) worse elsewhere.

That said, one of the main problems with the above is that the proximate cause—the mandates and measures, specifically lockdowns, mask mandates, and Covid Passport requirements—were left out of the report. This is despicable, and I think it’s very telling, too.

Still, these are quite credible data points, and—I’d have to add this as a parent of two girls (not yet in the above age bracket, esp. the 10-14yo)—this is heart-breaking. Most likely, any parent reading this may very well thought that, well, this could be my child.

I’m furious; irritated; disgusted; saddened; and a number of other states, but my overall gut feeling is this: my dear children, I feel the need to apologise. I tried very hard to shield you from these absurdities and, yes, abuses while, at the same time, I am terribly sorry I couldn’t do more for you, for my neighbours’ children, and for every other child.

I weep for our children. They don’t deserve this treatment.

On the other hand, here’s hoping that the Swiss judiciary system might deliver some form of justice:

Covid: “vaccination victims” file criminal charges against Swissmedic and doctors

We owe it to our children.