Prioritise mental health problems, experts urge new cabinet

The report shows that mental pressure in the Netherlands is increasing. While around 85% of people report being satisfied with their lives, four in ten experience anxiety or depressive feelings and one in four adults has a psychological disorder.

The impact is significant, with high costs for healthcare, sick leave and disability, and the decline is most marked among teenagers, young adults and women, the agency said.

“This is a worrying decline, which began before the coronavirus pandemic,” Marith Volp, director of public health at the RIVM, told broadcaster NOS. “Mental health is under pressure.”

Several indicators have worsened since 2014, including the share of people reporting anxiety or depressive symptoms and the number of people with a diagnosed psychological disorder. Satisfaction with life, however, has remained relatively stable.

One in 10 young people up to the age of 23 receives some form of care, while around a quarter of patients aged 16 and over had had contact their GP with psychological complaints.

One in 20 adults is receiving specialist mental healthcare, with medical spending on psychological disorders amounts to nearly €500 per person per year.

The report also looks at factors that influence mental health. Self-rated health and social support play a key role, while lifestyle factors such as cannabis use and smoking are linked to poorer mental well-being.

Experts also highlight the importance of financial security and paid work. However, they say, no single factor is decisive, and that mental health is shaped by a wide range of social and individual influences.