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Berlin (dpa) - Germany's psychotherapists are calling for the federal, state and local governments to provide greater protection for people from psychological stress caused by the corona pandemic.
"In addition to fears and depression, tension and aggression also increase, they often show themselves, often they are suppressed," said the President of the Chamber of Psychotherapists, Dietrich Munz, of the German Press Agency in Berlin.
"If the lockdown has to be extended and tightened anyway, it would be important that not only economic compensation flows," said Munz, who is also President of the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Psychotherapists.
According to Munz, the fact that the crisis is currently worsening due to the third wave is the result of ignorance of the increasing number of infections earlier in the year.
It was clear early on that the third wave would come.
“As humans, we tend to ignore minor warning signals in order to be able to do the pleasurable.
That took revenge. "
The perspective of a vaccination offer for everyone and an end to the restrictions is central for mental resilience.
"We need an achievable goal," said Munz.
The third wave with the British mutant and a sharper lockdown slide like a big shadow in front of the perspective.
"The self-healing powers seem to be gradually exhausted for many."
According to the “Germany Barometer Depression” published in March, almost three quarters (71 percent) of German citizens found the situation in the second lockdown to be depressing.
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LOCKDOWN AND AGGRESSIVITY:
In the opinion of the Chamber President, persistent lockdown favors more aggressive behavior - but something can be done about it.
"Stress always brings with it an increase in the potential for aggression."
Uncontrollable anxiety means stress.
"Fear causes inner activation for our two typical reactions: fleeing or opposing," said the psychologist and therapist.
It is hardly possible to become active - in the pandemic, people would be condemned to passivity.
“That is why activation through fear leads to aggression in many - towards fellow human beings, in some also towards politics or even science, which supposedly got us all in,” he said.
According to the "Depression Barometer", 46 percent of German citizens consider fellow human beings to be more ruthless than in the lockdown at the beginning of 2020. Munz emphasized that exercise could reduce stress and aggression.
"In the lockdown, people should do sport, walk briskly, walk, jog, ride a bike or even fitness with digital offers - whatever suits them best."
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CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS:
Many children and young people in particular suffered from the lockdown.
For their development, they should actually be able to share everyday life with their peers.
Speech therapists have already reported increased disorders in language development.
"If kindergartens and schools cannot continue in attendance at first, more must be done to counteract development deficits."
Children from socially disadvantaged families are more affected.
"With minors, the first step is to identify the children who currently need support and especially after the pandemic has subsided," said Munz.
"After months of homeschooling, teachers often know exactly which students are drifting away."
For these, additional care and support options should be created by school psychologists.
“One idea would be for states and municipalities to make it possible for students to work before they graduate.
For example, you could sponsor a child. "
Especially in warmer temperatures, more outdoor activities are conceivable.
SINGLES AND COUPLES:
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Loneliness - this is now an increased problem with singles.
Many people who are acutely stressed have not yet developed any mental illness as a result.
"You would be served with low-threshold offers of help," said Munz.
"But these are often not the case, because these are mostly group offers, contact mediation, meeting points, joint activities."
But not only retreat and being alone are a problem.
"For many couples and families, the tightness often creates stress," said Munz.
"Under normal circumstances, we oscillate between proximity and distance."
There are many indications of more violence and sexual assault in families even in the first lockdown.
If everyone is always at home, there are few uncontrolled times for those affected, for example to call a women's shelter.
"More information to avoid psychological tension and aggressive arguments would be important."
MENTAL ILLNESS:
"When the pandemic subsides, the mental illnesses are likely to increase noticeably," said Munz.
More patients are already asking therapists than a year ago.
You could usually easily arrange a consultation with a therapist via the doctors' appointment hotline.
But if a need for treatment is determined, around 40 percent of patients wait at least three to nine months for treatment to begin.
"We just have too few treatment places," said Munz.
In 2018, an official report found a gap of 2,400 positions, and there were 800 more.
In order to quickly expand the range of psychotherapy on offer, private practices should also be able to provide for people with complaints at the expense of statutory health insurance until the end of the year.
In the long term, more practices would have to be approved.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210409-99-136825 / 2
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