The mental health of young people in the Netherlands has declined. These findings are from by the latest quarterly research update (June 2025) from the GOR Network. More young people felt lonely, experienced stress, and had serious thoughts about suicide.
Young people also had significantly more GP contacts related to suicide in this quarter than in the previous quarters in this study. Compared to 2019, in the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of GP contacts related to this topic is now 70% higher. This cannot be explained based on the primary care data consulted here.
Data on adults remained about the same
Mental health among adults remained stable. The percentage of adults who felt happy most of the time decreased slightly from 83% to 80%, but the percentage who felt lonely (42%) or stressed (25%) remained the same. New primary care data shows that adults went to the GP more often for fatigue and for memory and concentration problems in the first half of 2025. The number of GP visits for these topics was also higher in 2023 and 2024 than in 2019, the period before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research programme on health impacts of COVID-19 crisis
Over the course of a five-year period (2021–2025), the Network for Health Research in Disasters (GOR Network) is compiling information about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health and perceived happiness of people in the Netherlands. This research programme is called the Integrated Health Monitor COVID-19. The monitor shows a snapshot of mental and physical health at a specific time in the Netherlands and how these aspects change over time. This up-to-date knowledge will enable policymakers to develop better policies. The researchers also regularly conduct interviews with people who have first-hand experience, experts in various fields, and education professionals.
The GOR Network consists of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), local offices of the Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs), GGD GHOR (the national umbrella organisation of the GGDs and the Regional Medical Assistance Organisations), the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (Nivel), and ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre. The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) is the commissioning client for this research, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS).