Only half of young adults rate their own mental health as good. However, there seems to be a slight improvement in several aspects of mental health, such as loneliness and happiness, compared to 2022. This is evident from the Health Monitor Young Adults 2024, a large-scale survey conducted among over 135,000 16 to 25-year-olds in the Netherlands.
Half of the young adults (51%) experience their own mental health as (very) good, 35% as moderate, and 14% experience it as (very) poor. Young people who struggle to make ends meet, those living alone, and 21 to 25-year-olds report good mental health less often.
Stress and performance pressure
More than two in five young adults often feel stressed. This is primarily due to stress from study/school and work/jobs. Additionally, over half of young adults regularly experience performance pressure. Many young adults are also concerned about social issues, particularly the housing market and rising prices. Less than half of young adults have much confidence in their own future, with 15% having little to no confidence.
Slight improvement compared to 2022
Since the measurement in 2022, there seems to be a slight improvement in several aspects of mental health, including loneliness, happiness, satisfaction with ones own life, and feeling limited by psychological complaints. Despite these slight improvements, there is still much to gain, and the mental health of young adults requires ongoing attention.
About the Health Monitor Young Adults 2024
From April to July 2024, all GGD Municipal Health Services (Municipal Health Services) and the RIVM and GGD GHOR Netherlands conducted a study among 16 to 25-year-olds in the Netherlands. Over 135,000 young adults filled out the questionnaire about their health, well-being, and lifestyle. More information about the study can be found at monitorgezondheid.nl. In addition to the results described above, many more topics were surveyed in this study. For more results, see VZinfo.nl (external link) or view the national report (external link). The study is part of the Health Research COVID-19 of the Health Research Network in Disasters (RIVM, Municipal Health Services, GGD GHOR Netherlands, Nivel, and ARQ National Psychotrauma Center) commissioned by the Ministry of VWS Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport) and ZonMw Health Research Netherlands Medical Sciences (Health Research Netherlands Medical Sciences).
View the full article (external link) on the GGD GHOR Netherlands website.