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Photo: CC0 via pxhere
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One in seven Dutch youngsters experiences depressive symptoms that are accompanied by panic attacks, sleeping problems and less (school) performance.
One in twelve indicates that they are limited in their daily life due to their psychological complaints. The Amsterdam UMC announced this on the basis of research commissioned by twenty health funds.
The organizations say they are concerned about the lack of attention to the mental health of young people and the stigma attached to psychological complaints. According to them, many young people have difficulties with the performance society in which they grow up and the stress they experience due to pressure at school. In addition, mental health assistance is insufficient for this group.
For example, the waiting lists in youth mental health care are far too long. “We cannot stand on the sidelines and let the problem get bigger and bigger. Young people should not be the victim of this ”, says Merel Heimens Visser, director of the Brain Foundation. According to the researchers, many young people find it difficult to be open about their mental health. “As many as 34 percent of young people often mistakenly think that people with psychological problems are a danger to society.”
To “stop psychological distress and help Dutch young people to be mentally healthy”, the health organizations start the Alliance for a Mentally Healthy Generation. On Tuesday, the alliance will hand over a manifesto to the Lower House in which it calls on politicians to come to a ‘Prevention Agreement on Mental Health’.
The Amsterdam UMC survey was conducted among more than 2,100 young people from different groups, aged 15 to 25 years.
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