BERLIN (AP) — Psychiatrists, psychologists and pediatricians in Germany have voiced growing alarm that school closings and social distancing are magnifying the fear, disruption and stress of the coronavirus pandemic for the country’s 13.7 million children and teenagers. They cite anecdotal evidence of increasing hospitalizations for psychiatric treatment and overflowing therapy offices to warn of a long-term crisis in the making. Mental health professionals wrote an open letter to the government urging more attention to the needs of young people in pandemic planning. Experts say that while children are not as at much risk of severe COVID-19 complications as older adults, they may be more vulnerable to hidden health effects of the year-long emergency.
