In the second quarter of 2023, the mental and physical health of adults was comparable to the first quarter. This is evidenced by the quarterly update from June 2023. The study is part of Health Research for COVID-19. In this research programme, the GOR Network researches the health effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Network for Health Research in Disasters (GOR Network) publishes a quarterly update on this page, summarising key results from survey research and data from primary care providers. The aim is to provide information to municipalities, provinces and the national government of the Netherlands to assist them in formulating policies.
Summary of research round 8, June 2023
Research round 8 of the quarterly study took place in June 2023. The first two rounds only looked at young people. This is the sixth round that looked at adults. The key results are summarised on this page.
Figures comparable to previous round
The figures on the mental and physical health of adults from the survey round in June 2023 were comparable to the survey round in March. There was a minor increase in loneliness and stress. In addition, somewhat fewer adults sought help for physical and mental symptoms than 3 months previously. GPs are still seeing more adults in their practice for memory and concentration problems than in previous years. The difference compared to 2019 has grown somewhat smaller than in the first quarter of 2023. Adults were less likely to go to the GP for muscle aches and nausea than in 2019.
Approach used in the quarterly study among adults
The quarterly study is based on survey-based research and GP records. From 15 June to 4 July, a total of 7,744 adults (aged 26 years and older) completed a survey on their mental and physical health. We also consult the primary care database maintained by Nivel – the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research. GPs keep track of the symptoms and health conditions for which people visit their practice. The data comes from about 380 GP practices, offering healthcare services to roughly 1.6 million registered patients (9% of the Dutch population). We look at differences in age group, gender and province. This research round looked at primary care data from April through June 2023.
Upcoming and previous research rounds
Since March 2022, there has been a research round among adults every 3 months. The results of those research rounds are also available. The following research round is planned for September 2023.