"In 2021, mental diseases and behavioral disorders were the most common reason for hospitalization of children and teenagers. Around 81,000 out of 427,600 patients aged 10-17 were treated in hospital due to this reason. According to the Federal Statistical Office, it accounted for 19% of all hospitalization cases in this age group," the office said in a statement, adding.
In 2011, this type of illness accounted for just 13% of all cases among young people aged 10-17.
Among all mental disorders, depression was the most common reason for inpatient treatment of German teenagers, accounting for 27% of all hospitalization cases caused by mental illnesses in 2021.
Injuries and poisoning, symptoms without a specific diagnosis and disorders of the digestive system were other most common reasons for hospitalization of children and teenagers in Germany in 2021, the statistical office said.
At the same time, mental disorders accounted for just 6% of all 15.3 million cases of hospitalization among people aged 18 or older in Germany, it added.