Growing group of Dutch residents not feeling well

A growing number of Dutch residents do not feel well. Last year, seven out of 10 people in the country felt they were in good health, down from two years ago, according to government health monitors. GGDMore medical service. “These figures are alarming and show that we must work to turn the tide,” said Ton Koenen, director of governing body GGD GHOR Nederland.

In 2020, around 8 out of 10 adults in the Netherlands said they were in good health. This year’s decline may be related to relatively healthy people feeling more positive about their health compared to those hit by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. GGD said. However, the number of healthy people in 2022 was also lower than in 2016.

According to GGD, people who are struggling financially or have lower levels of education are more likely to perceive their health as poor. Only half of those struggling to make ends meet consider themselves to be in good health. This group also appears to be in worse health than those without financial problems.

Koenen said this was very worrying, especially given that the group of economically distressed people is increasing for the first time in years. In 2020, 1 in 8 Dutch residents over the age of 19 were struggling to make ends meet. Last year it was one in five.

By 2022, health perceptions have declined across all GGD regions. GGD regions Gouy an Wesstreek and Utrecht have the highest health perceptions, with almost three-quarters of residents stating that their health is good or very good.

Mental health has also deteriorated over the past two years. In 2022, more people felt lonely than in 2020. There was also an increased risk of developing anxiety disorders and depression. Worsening mental health was seen in all age groups, but was particularly pronounced among young people aged 18 to 24.

For this study, GGD asked around 365,000 residents of the Netherlands over the age of 18 about their health status in the fall of 2022.