Almost half of students in the Netherlands today experience mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. High levels of stress and loneliness are also experienced. Do young people today possess less resilience or is there a reason their mental well-being is worse? Scientist Kayla Green answers.
Many young people in the Netherlands have the opportunity to study, travel and broaden their horizons. Their grandparents often did not have that. Yet Dutch youngsters are not getting happier. RIVM research from 2023 shows that 44 per cent of Dutch students had depression and or anxiety symptoms. About the same number often experience performance pressure or (very) much stress and loneliness. And of the students who drink, 10 per cent are excessive drinkers and 16 per cent are heavy drinkers.
Do today's young people lack resilience? Have they become “snowflakes”, as is often said? Or is there more to it. Kayla Green of Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences researches the well-being of adolescents and young adults. In the video below, she explains what young people today are dealing with, and how it affects their mental well-being.
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For more information, please contact Marjolein Kooistra of Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences through e-mail.- Related content
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- Your Story Matters: Young People at the Heart of Research and Practice
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