Keynote Presentation: Jan Spijker To Be Young and Depressed: Higher Prevalence Rates for Depression in Youngsters in the Netherlands

Monday, April 3, 2023 | 16:10-16:55 | Online Room A

According to recent results of NEMESIS, 26% of the Dutch adult population had a psychiatric condition in the past 12 months. Twelve years earlier this was 18%.

Especially, there was a sharp increase in the prevalence in depressive, anxiety and substance use disorders. Those aged under 35, living alone, without employment and living in cities were at higher risk of developing mental disorders.

NEMESIS-3 is a national psychiatric epidemiological survey with more than 6,000 respondents (18-64 years old) that started in 2019. The MINI is used to assess psychiatric disorders according to DSMIV and DSM-V. Earlier prevalence of psychiatric disorders were assessed in NEMESIS-2. COVID-19 does not seem to have influenced the rise in depression as prevalence in the year before, during and after the pandemic did not differ. There are other signals of an increase of depression and suicidality among students. The chronic stress and performance pressure that young people experience might be the explanation for this situation.

Jan Spijker

Jan Spijker, MD, PhD, is a psychiatrist at the Expert Center for Depression of Pro Persona mental health care in Nijmegen, and a professor at Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. His research focuses on the epidemiology, origins, and treatment of chronic, treatment-resistant depression. His research group conducts RCTs into augmentation therapy for (chronic, treatmentresistant) depression. He has contributed to more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed psychiatric journals and is the chair of the committee for the Dutch Multidisciplinary Guideline for Depression.