Young Dutch still struggling with mental health problems after pandemic

The number of young people aged 12 to 25 in the Netherlands struggling with sleep problems, psychological complaints, and depression increased significantly between 2017 and 2022. The hope that young people’s mental health would improve after significant deterioration during the coronavirus pandemic did not materialize last year, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported.

Last year, 22 percent of young people reported having sleep problems in the past two weeks, compared to 14 percent in 2017. The share of young people who felt hampered by their sleep problems doubled in that period.

At 16 percent, the proportion of young people who experienced psychological complaints in the preceding month was twice as high in 2022 as in 2017. Last year, 12 percent reported experiencing depression in the past year, compared to 5 percent in 2017.

CBS noted that the depression reports involved the young people’s experiences and not necessarily official diagnoses. However, according to the statistics office, the figures clearly show that young Netherlands residents are struggling.

Young women and girls were more likely to report struggling with mental health problems than young men and boys. They were also more likely to seek help, CBS said.