According to Professor Guilherme Polanczyk, the pandemic negatively affected children and adolescents, increasing levels of emotional stress and possibly leading to the development of psychological disorders

A study carried out by the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP) shows that 36% of young people in Brazil had symptoms of depression and anxiety during the pandemic. The survey was conducted online with approximately 6,000 young people aged 5 to 17 years. The results show that one in three children and adolescents has levels of emotional stress at an intensity that is considered necessary for an assessment.

“Often, children and adolescents do not express themselves in their behavior and also do not tell their parents who are suffering from symptoms or experiencing a lot of anxiety or stress,” Prof. Guilherme Polanczyk, head of the inpatient unit of the Service of Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, Institute of Psychiatry, Hospital das Clínicas, FMUSP. Due to the difficulty that many young people have to access the internet, the rate obtained by the study may be underestimated and represent only a portion of this population.

Continue reading at: https://jornal.usp.br/atualidades/pandemia-e-responsavel-por-cerca-de-36-dos-casos-de-depressao-em-criancas-e-adolescentes/