9 in 10 Dutch young people experienced mental health problems in past year

Nine in ten young people between the ages of 16 and 34 struggled with mental health issues in the past year, according to a survey by 3Vraagt, 3FM Human, and Stichting MIND among 1,495 people in this age group. Almost all complaints increased compared to last year and young people find it increasingly difficult to talk about, the researchers reported.

Almost all young people reported experiencing stress, uncertainty, overstimulation, fear of failure, perfectionism, or a sense of doom in the past year. For 58 percent, it hindered their daily function. And 37 percent have had to call in sick from work or school at least once in the past two years due to their mental health. “I am constantly tired, chaotic, and forgetful, which means I perform less well,” one respondent said.

Mental health issues spiked among young people during the coronavirus pandemic and never recovered. Many crises followed the pandemic and that weighs heavily on young people, especially the housing crisis and the cost of living crisis of recent years. But climate change and the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine also play a role, the researchers found. “Everything seems to be going to hell and nothing is being solved. Parliament and the Cabinet are only concerned with themselves and their seats, while the world is on fire,” one respondent said.

The percentage of respondents who said they couldn’t talk to anyone about their mental health doubled from 11 percent last year to 22 percent now. Many said they’ve tried but didn’t like the response they got. “They say things like ‘well, cheer up, be a bit happier,’ that is of no use to me,” one respondent said. Another said their mental health issues were used against them. “I am not taken seriously in discussions, ‘because you have an anxiety disorder.’”