Every four years, this monitor is used to conduct research into health, well-being and lifestyle at local, regional and national level. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, this survey was conducted among nearly 540 thousand people aged 18 years or older. The data obtained from this is used, among other things, to draw up local health policy. The effect of the corona crisis on the outcomes is currently being analysed.
The Health Monitor extensively asks how people have felt in the past four weeks. Feelings such as gloomy, listlessness and fatigue are discussed. By asking questions like “How often have you felt so down that nothing helped to cheer you up?” can it risk of an anxiety disorder or depression are inferred, not whether there is actually an anxiety disorder or depression.
Highest risk of anxiety disorder or depression among the less educated
While a high risk of an anxiety disorder or depression has decreased slightly in recent years in people aged 35 or older, this risk has increased in young adults: from 7 percent in 2016 to about 9 percent of 18- to 35-year-olds in 2020 Among all adults, 6 percent had a high risk of having an anxiety disorder or depression.
In addition, a high risk of an anxiety disorder or depression is more common in people over 18 with a low education level 15 percent, compared to 5 percent of those with a high level of education (hbo, wo). Women (7 percent) also experience a high risk of this more often than men (5 percent), and this is higher in GGD regions with a high degree of urbanization than in regions with a low urbanization.
| Education level | |
|---|---|
| Laag (lo) | 14,6 |
| yellow, lbo | 7,1 |
| havo, vwo, mbo | 6,6 |
| High (HBO, WO) | 4,5 |
| Age | |
| 18 to 35 years | 8,9 |
| 35 to 50 years | 6,5 |
| 50 to 65 years | 6,0 |
| 65 years or older | 3,9 |
| urbanity | |
| Very strongly urban | 8,4 |
| Highly urban | 7,1 |
| Moderately urban | 5,9 |
| Little urban | 5,1 |
| Not urban | 4,1 |
| Sex | |
| Women | 7,5 |
| Men | 5,3 |
| Source: GGDs, CBS and RIVM | |
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Regional differences in risk of anxiety or depression
The percentage with a high risk of an anxiety disorder or depression among the population of 18 years or older varies per GGD region between 5 and almost 9 percent. In the majority of regions, this risk has remained the same between 2016 and 2020. The regions GGD Haaglanden, GGD Hollands Midden and GGD Twente will show the largest decrease in 2020.
| GGD Groningen | 5,6 |
| GGD Fryslân | 4,8 |
| GGD Drenthe | 4,6 |
| GGD IJsselland | 5,0 |
| GGD Twente | 5,9 |
| GGD North and East Gelderland | 5,7 |
| VG Gelderland-Midden | 6,5 |
| GGD Gelderland South | 6,6 |
| Municipal Health Service Utrecht region | 5,6 |
| GGD Dutch North | 5,2 |
| GGD Zaanstreek-Waterland | 6,1 |
| GGD Kennemerland | 5,9 |
| GGD Amsterdam | 8,4 |
| GGD Gooi en Vechtstreek | 5,2 |
| GGD Haaglanden | 8 |
| GGD Dutch Central | 5,4 |
| GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond | 8,0 |
| DGJ South Holland South | 5,8 |
| GGD Zeeland | 5,5 |
| GGD West-Brabant | 6,3 |
| GGD Heart for Brabant | 6,7 |
| GGD Brabant-Southeast | 6,2 |
| GGD Limburg-North | 5,9 |
| GGD South Limburg | 8,6 |
| GGD Flevoland | 7,9 |
| Source: GGDs, CBS and RIVM | |
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Perceived health slightly increased
The perceived health of all Dutch people aged 18 or older increased slightly in 2020 compared to 2016 and 2012. At that time, 76 percent of adults indicated that they generally experienced good or very good health. In 2020, nearly 80 percent of adults rated their health as such.
In the majority of the GGD regions, the share of residents with a (very) good perceived health remained the same between 2016 and 2020. In the regions IJsselland, GGD Gooi & Vechtstreek and GGD Hollands Midden, the perceived health was highest in 2020. In these regions, 82 percent of adults rated their health as good or very good.
| GGD Groningen | 77,9 |
| GGD Fryslân | 80,7 |
| GGD Drenthe | 79,3 |
| GGD IJsselland | 81,8 |
| GGD Twente | 80,1 |
| GGD North and East Gelderland | 80,1 |
| VG Gelderland-Midden | 81,0 |
| GGD Gelderland South | 76,6 |
| Municipal Health Service Utrecht region | 81,1 |
| GGD Dutch North | 79,9 |
| GGD Zaanstreek-Waterland | 78,8 |
| GGD Kennemerland | 80,6 |
| GGD Amsterdam | 79,7 |
| GGD Gooi en Vechtstreek | 81,9 |
| GGD Haaglanden | 77,9 |
| GGD Dutch Central | 82,4 |
| GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond | 76,8 |
| DGJ South Holland South | 79,2 |
| GGD Zeeland | 77,0 |
| GGD West-Brabant | 78,1 |
| GGD Heart for Brabant | 79,1 |
| GGD Brabant-Southeast | 79 |
| GGD Limburg-North | 76,5 |
| GGD South Limburg | 72,6 |
| GGD Flevoland | 78,1 |
| Source: GGDs, CBS and RIVM | |
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Health Monitor Adults and Elderly 2020
The Adults and Elderly Health Monitor is a questionnaire survey that is conducted every four years by the 25 GGDs, GGD GHOR Nederland, RIVM and Statistics Netherlands. The figures on the risk of anxiety and depression come from the surveys of the GGDs. The GGDs completed the questionnaire for this monitor between September and December 2020. For perceived health, the Health Monitor contains figures from the GGD surveys as well as from the CBS Health Survey. The data from the Health Survey was collected from January to December 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated measures may have impacted people’s health, lifestyle and well-being. The effects of the corona crisis on the (higher) risk of an anxiety disorder and depression, and on perceived health, are currently being further analyzed and published shortly.
Where do you find the numbers from this monitor?
The national data and the data per GGD region will be available from June 29th volksgezondheidenzorg.info with an explanation. The underlying figures can be found at CBS StatLine on RIVM StatLine. The figures per municipality will be made public on 9 September.
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