Only half of young adults rate their mental health as good. However, compared to 2022, there seems to have been a slight improvement in certain aspects of mental health, such as loneliness and happiness. 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.

Half of the respondents (51%) described their mental health as (very) good, 35% rated it as moderate and 14% as (very) bad. Young people facing financial difficulties, those living alone and individuals aged 21 to 25 were less likely to report good mental health. Regional differences can be seen as well.

Stress and performance pressure

Two in five young adults frequently feel stressed, primarily due to academic, school or work-related pressures. Additionally, more than half regularly experience performance pressure. Many young adults are also concerned about societal issues, particularly the housing market and rising costs. Fewer than half of young adults have strong confidence in their future, while 15% report little to no confidence.

Slight improvement since 2022 

Since the 2022 survey, there have been slight improvements in areas of mental health such as loneliness, happiness, satisfaction with life and feeling limited by mental health complaints. Despite these minor gains, there remains significant room for improvement, and young adults’ mental health continues to require attention.

About the Public Health Monitor Young Adults 2024

From April to July 2024, all municipal public health services (GGDs), in collaboration with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Association of GGD's and GHOR-offices in the Netherlands (GGD GHOR Nederland), conducted a survey among 16-to-25-year-olds in the Netherlands. Over 135,000 young adults completed the questionnaire, which covered health, well-being and lifestyle. More details about the survey can be found at monitorgezondheid.nl. In addition to the findings mentioned above, the survey addressed many other topics. For more results, visit VZinfo.nl (in Dutch) or read the national report (in Dutch)j. This survey is part of the Integrated Health Monitor COVID-19 by the Network for Health Research in Disasters (RIVM, Municipal public health services, GGD GHOR Nederland, the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (Nivel) and the ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre), commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). 

Read the full article (in Dutch) on the GGD GHOR Nederland website.