Belgium’s young adults face post-pandemic depression

Young adults (18-29) are still the most affected by anxiety (27%) and depressive symptoms (24.5%), while the elderly (65 years and over) are the least affected (7% and 6% respectively), a new survey by Sciensano, the national public health institute of Belgium, has shown that.

Belga news agency reported that the mental health problems of Belgians are still more pronounced than before the COVID-19 period in 2018.

Stefaan Demarest, a project manager in Sciensano, said the survey showed that the situation has improved compared to the previous study carried out in March, but that it is still “rather bad” compared to the normal situation.

In June 2021, 15% of the adult population was affected by a depressive disorder and 16% by an anxiety disorder. These figures are five percentage points lower compared to the two previous studies but remain five percentage points higher compared to 2018.