No significant increase in mental health problems despite pandemic

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, there was no significant increase in the number of Netherlands residents with mental health problems, though more mental health problems were reported in the fourth quarter of 2020 than in the same period in previous years, Statistics Netherlands reported. The number of people struggling with their mental health has been pretty much stable over the past four years.

A survey on mental health by the stats office, showed that roughly twelve percent of the Dutch population aged twelve and older showed signs of mental health problems in the past year. That is roughly the same percentage as was measured between 2017 and 2019.

People aged between 18 and 40 were most likely to suffer from a psychological illness at 14 percent. Among people over 65 that number is roughly ten percent. Respondents between twelve and 18 were least likely to show signs of a mental illness at seven percent.

Those under 65 in a single-household were more prone to suffer from a mental illness than people living with a partner and/or with children.

Similar to past years, mental health in the population worsened in the winter months of the fourth quarter. Signs of mental illness were 0.5 percent higher in the last quarter of 2020 than they were in the same quarter one year prior.