In the third quarter of 2024, young people (0-24 years) had 75% more contact with their general practitioners due to suicidal thoughts and attempts than before the pandemic in 2019. The difference is larger than in the previous quarter (increase of 75% vs. 45%). This is shown by data from general practitioners. At the same time, the percentage of young people indicating suicidal thoughts in questionnaires has remained approximately the same compared to the second quarter of 2024. However, this is still significantly higher than before the pandemic. This is evident from the thirteenth quarterly survey of the Network for Health Research in Disasters (GOR).
Other mental health issues, such as depressive or anxious feelings, do not show a significant increase in visits to general practitioners. The reason why young people came into contact with general practitioners more frequently due to suicidality in the past quarter was not examined in this study. One possible explanation is that more young people are seeking help, without this necessarily meaning that more young people have suicidal thoughts.