Pandemic lockdowns and restrictions adversely affected children and young people, with a rise in self-harm cases admitted to hospitals. 

Research published last week from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Paediatric Study Group found a marked increase in pediatric intensive care unit admissions following deliberate self-harm.

The authors of the study, published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, say this coincided with COVID-19 lockdowns and social restrictions over the past two years.

Of the 813 study patients aged 12 to 17 analysed between January 2015 and June 2021, 230 were admitted during the first 15 months of the pandemic from April 2020 to June 2021.

“At the onset of the pandemic, monthly incidence of (deliberate self-harm) ICU admissions per million children and adolescents increased from 7.2 admissions in March 2020 to a peak of 11.4 admissions by August 2020,” said the authors.

This was considered a “significant” disruption to regular pre-pandemic trends.

Monash Children’s Hospital pediatric ICU director Felix Oberender said the numbers were concerning.

“This is an intensive care study … We really only see the tip of the iceberg,” he said.

While the study was observational, the numbers were loud and clear, according to University of Melbourne’s Youth Mental Health Professor Patrick McGorry.

“What else would be causing that increase?” he asked.

“These impacted much more heavily on young people than any other age group, with harmful disruption of the protective scaffolding supporting mental health and development.” 

This “sensitive period of life” depends on a stable family environment, engagement with peer groups and progress at school.

“You simply cannot continue to force people to stay home indefinitely and in the case of young people, stay away from schools and their social networks,” he said.

Dr Oberender agreed the mental health of children and young people needed to be considered in health policy planning as much as their physical well-being.

“In 2020, I think many of us comforted ourselves thinking at least the kids are OK,” he said.

“What we’re seeing now in 2022 is a broad acknowledgement, in fact, that they’re not OK.”

LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:

ACT: 1,129 cases, 1 death (woman in 90s), 80 in hospital with 5 in ICU

NSW: 10,972 cases, 16 deaths, 1442 in hospital with 59 in ICU

Victoria: 13,694 cases, 20 deaths, 516 in hospital with 31 in ICU

Tasmania: 1216 cases, one death, 40 in hospital with one in ICU.

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