Waiting lists for adult mental health care are growing: Nu.nl – DutchNews.nl

More adults have mental health problems, but services are overburdened and waiting lists are growing. nu.nl reports.

A quarter of people aged 18 to 75, or about 3.3 million people, were diagnosed with mental health problems in the past year, up from less than 18% 12 years ago, figures from the Center for addictions Trimbos Institute.

Depression, anxiety, and addiction are the most common conditions, with the greatest increase among young adults and students. Single people, the unemployed, and people with low incomes are also more prone to mental health problems.

Studies have shown that the pandemic influenced mental health, but this has not been reflected in the number of clinical diagnoses.

“People are constantly experiencing stimuli, social media alone explains a lot of this. Society is becoming more individualistic at the same time that people’s sense of security is affected by the climate crisis, rising costs and the war in Ukraine,” Ruth Peetom, president of the services, told Nu.nl. of mental health of the regional board of health.

Mental health services are struggling with a “gigantic understaffing,” Peetoom said. Waiting times exceed the statutory 14 weeks for half of people seeking help, figures from the Dutch health authority show.

Peetoom wants a more cohesive approach to mental health care, including initiatives aimed at combating smoking and obesity, and less emphasis on the financial viability of the service. ‘The cabinet should not concentrate on the economic aspect. This concerns the mental health of a large group of people,’ he said.

The fact that the taboo on mental health problems is breaking is a good sign in itself, Peetoom said. ‘More people are acknowledging that they have a problem. But now we’ve found ways to deal with that by improving services but also making society better able to deal with mental health problems. We need to become more resilient and talk about these issues in schools’.