Young adults speak up about their mental health, stress and substance use
Young adults see school or higher education as the biggest source of stress. In addition, many young adults are concerned about money and societal developments. They also describe substance use as completely normalised in Dutch society.
Persistent concerns about young adults’ mental health despite slight improvement
Only half of young adults rate their mental health as good. This emerges from the Public Health Monitor Young Adults2024, a large-scale survey conducted among over 135,000 16-to-25-year-olds in the Netherlands.
Well-being should be considered from the start when formulating policy during pandemic, health emergency or other crisis
Monitoring well-being from the outset and throughout the duration of a pandemic, health emergency or other crisis provides helpful input in making policy choices.
More unhealthy behaviour among young people; their health remains vulnerable
Fewer young people aged 12 to 16 are positive about their health than in previous years. In addition, their mental health has not recovered after the COVID-19 pandemic.
High impact of climate change on health, more knowledge needed on relations between effects
The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly visible. RIVM analysed the health effects of climate change for the period 1991–2020. RIVM also investigated the impact of these effects and their likelihood.
More than half of young adults reported experiencing mental health problems
More than half of young adults (aged 16 to 25) in the Netherlands experience mental health problems. High levels of loneliness and suicidal thoughts are also observed in this age group. This is evident from the COVID-19 Health Monitor for Young Adults 2022
