Mental health of HBO and university students has slightly improved

Although substance use among students has remained largely unchanged, there is a slight decrease in the use of some substances, such as less weekly cannabis use and less use of sleep and calming medications without prescription in the past year. As in previous years, alcohol and cannabis are the most commonly used substances. The cautious improvements in mental health and slight decreases in substance use mostly occurred between 2021 and 2023, after the end of the corona pandemic.

More students have received help

In 2025, more students received advice or help within or outside the educational institution. The increase in psychological complaints occurred only between 2021 and 2023; for problems due to substance use, also between 2023 and 2025. However, the percentage of students who received advice or help for substance use problems (22%) is much lower than for students with psychological complaints (66% of students experiencing complaints).

The environment in which students learn and live plays an important role

The MMMS-2025 shows that the mental health and substance use of students are not only related to their personal characteristics or background but also to their social environment, educational context, and societal circumstances.

For example, students who feel at home and can be themselves at their education have better mental health. Students who experience a lot of stress due to societal problems, such as financial worries or global tensions, feel worse and use more substances. Another example is that students living in student housing consume more alcohol and other substances than those living at home.

Importance of an integrated approach

The results of MMMS-2025 emphasize that an integrated approach addressing multiple factors simultaneously is important for further improving student well-being. Many educational institutions already work with an integrated approach. It is important to continue this. An integrated approach involves strengthening students health skills with attention to their personal circumstances, as well as improving the social, educational, and societal context in which students live and study. The report contains concrete recommendations for this, such as promoting a responsible culture around substance use.

This requires better cooperation and shared responsibility among the various parties involved, including policymakers and professionals in education, prevention, and care, but also students themselves, their parents, and others from their informal network.

On December 9, 2025, the Monitor Mental Health by the RIVM and Trimbos Institute will be published. This monitor provides a national overview of developments in mental health across various age groups. The MMMS-2025 figures are also included.

---

About the monitor

The Monitor Mental Health and Substance Use Students HBO and WO is a biennial study conducted by the RIVM, Trimbos Institute, and GGD GHOR (Umbrella organization of Municipal and Joint Health Services and Medical Assistance Organizations in the region), into the mental health and substance use of students at universities of applied sciences and universities. The study also maps which factors are associated with better or worse mental health and with less or more substance use. Additionally, it shows the extent to which students have received help or advice. The first measurement was in 2021, the second in 2023. More than 27,000 students participated in the third measurement in 2025. The report of the fourth measurement will be published in 2027.Read more about this monitor. (external link)