Prior to the discussion on RTL Radio, young law student Estelle Née, spokesperson for the National Union of Luxembourg Students (UNEL), set the tone by stressing: "We are all vulnerable".
Nearly one year after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the three guests discussed the well-being of children and young people during the pandemic as well as how the various restrictions affected them. In general, the guests agreed that many young people felt that their problems were not taken seriously, and that society instead stigmatised them. They also want others to acknowledge their efforts and sacrifices: remaining alone at home, not being allowed to see their friends, not being able to engage in their recreational activities, and having to do their classes remotely.
The guests included the child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Christopher Goepel, the designated ombudsman for children and adolescents Charel Schmit, and the president of the national teachers' union SNE Patrick Remakel. Overall, all three of them stressed how well young people, at least the overwhelming majority of them, had participated in the effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
According to Dr Goepel, the suspension of sport, recreational activities, and everyday school life was indeed a cause of severe stress. The adolescent psychiatry ward in Kirchberg has noticed an alarming increase in alcohol and cannabis consumption among young people. Cases of eating disorders are also increasing as well as media consumption via digital means. In addition, doctors noticed that more and more adolescents had a strong tendency to seclude themselves.
Since the end of the lockdown, the 23 inpatient beds of the national service for adolescent psychiatry have been permanently occupied. Staff members are often overburdened, mainly also because of a severe lack of doctors and medical professionals within the field of adolescent psychiatry.
SNE President Remakel stated that schools too were negatively impacted by a lack of resources as well as trained staff members who could assess the well-being of a child and detect issues at an early stage. Improvements needed to be made, Remakel added.
Schmit stressed that the current situation in which personal liberties, including those of young people, are being restricted, must not be a permanent one. It is important to remember that society as a whole is going through an exceptional situation, and this situation must remain exactly that: exceptional.
According to Schmit, an important goal over the upcoming months should be to think about activities which could be offered to adolescents, i.e. holiday activities, preferably already over the Easter Holidays. In particular, there is a need for a different sort of activities after the long winter months, which do not take place on a screen.
Schmit also stated that the coronavirus crisis had further increased inequality among children and families, especially in terms of education.
Remakel, who is also a teacher himself, added that students had been happy to return to school after last week's remote learning. All of the alternative teaching methods have their limits, and the situation mainly shows just how important face-to-face teaching really is.
Is Covid-19 going to become the trauma of an entire generation? This is maybe a bit dramatic, according to Dr Goepel. While the pandemic is indeed very serious and will certainly become an infamous historic event, the extend of its impact is also dependent on the example set by the adult population to young people.
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Corona-Pandemie hannerléisst Spueren: Vill Schüler a Schülerinne komme sou lues un hir Limitten
