Study shows slight improvement in student mental health, but many still struggle

While students’ mental health has improved slightly compared to four years ago, many are still experiencing difficulties. This is according to a study by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Trimbos Institute, which looked at both mental health and alcohol and drug use among students at universities and universities of applied sciences.

Students in the survey gave their lives an average score of 6.8 out of 10, up from 6 in 2021. Around 83 percent of university and applied sciences students said they had felt anxious or depressed in the previous four weeks.

More than half, 56 percent, reported experiencing “emotional exhaustion,” and a quarter indicated moments of life fatigue, which the RIVM and Trimbos Institute explain may reflect “a feeling of hopelessness.”

Researchers note slight improvements in most areas of mental health compared with 2021, when the survey was first carried out amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Students now report feeling less lonely and experiencing less pressure to perform, according to the RIVM and Trimbos Institute.

The share of hbo (universities of applied sciences) and wo (research universities) students reporting high or very high stress fell to 53 percent this year, compared with 62 percent in 2021.

Student alcohol and drug use has stayed largely unchanged from 2021 to 2025. The RIVM and Trimbos Institute caution, however, that “risky alcohol use” remains common. Meanwhile, the proportion of students who vape daily or frequently has increased compared with four years ago.

According to the researchers, students’ mental health and substance use are influenced not only by individual traits but also by their social environment, education, and wider societal conditions.

Students living in shared student housing, for instance, generally consume more alcohol and use drugs more frequently than those who live at home. Financial pressures and the shortage of available housing also contribute to stress for some students.

The survey, conducted last spring, gathered responses from almost 27,500 students at 12 universities of applied sciences and 11 research universities.