Suicidal thoughts affect 16% of young people; 43% of population feels lonely
Those in the Netherlands in life threatening danger should immediately dial 112 for emergencies, and anyone suffering from depression or contemplating suicide can call 113 Zelfmoordpreventie at any time by dialing either 113 or 0800-0113, or by visiting 113.nl.
The increase in young people with suicidal thoughts that happened in the coronavirus lockdowns is not decreasing now that the restrictions have been over for a few months. Sixteen percent of young people between 12 and 25 have serious suicidal thoughts, Netwerk GOR reported on Thursday. Loneliness is also a persisting problem, with 42.5 percent of Netherlands residents feeling lonely to a greater or lesser extent, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported.
During the last coronavirus lockdown, the percentage of young people with serious suicidal thoughts almost doubled from 9 percent in the autumn of 2021 to 17 percent in February 2022. Months after the Cabinet scrapped the last coronavirus restrictions, that percentage has hardly decreased, Netwerk GOR found in its fourth quarterly survey among young people. The number of suicide-related visits to a general practitioner is also not reducing and is still 39 percent higher than before the pandemic. More than a third of young people also reported struggling with psychological problems, half are lonely, and half struggle with stress.
Netwerk GOR, a collaboration of health services in the Netherlands, including the RIVM and GGDs, also asked young people how the pandemic affected their personal development. They reported sustaining study delays, feeling like they missed important years in their life, decreased social contacts, and more mental health complaints.
Statistics Netherlands also reported that loneliness is a persisting problem in the Netherlands. Eleven percent of Netherlands residents over the age of 15 reported feeling very lonely, and 31.5 percent said they were lonely. Single people are most vulnerable to loneliness, with 56.5 percent reporting feeling lonely to some extent. Nearly half (48 percent) of single parents also report struggling with loneliness, including 19.2 percent feeling very lonely.
The percentage of Netherlands residents who struggled with extreme emotional loneliness - people who didn’t have a close bond with anyone - increased from 8 to 11 percent between 2019 and 2021. This proportion is now the highest among young people between the ages of 15 and 25 at 14 percent. In 2019, people over the age of 75 were most often emotionally very lonely.
