Mental problems in the adult population

[Ferre]

The prevalence of mental health problems among the Dutch is considerable. Almost one in four adults struggle annually with some mental disorder. A third of them seek the help of a general, practitioner or another qualified primary care giver (27%) or go directly to mental health care specialists (15%). The annual turnover in the specialised mental health care sector is about 5 billion Dutch guilders, which is 9% of the total cost of health care. The sector employs more than 60,000 people, roughly 90% of whom work in institutions, the others in private practice. The Netherlands has a population of 15 million.

 

 

In the Netherlands 41% of all the people between the ages of 18 and 65 suffer or have suffered from a mental disorder one or more times. For 23.5% of them this includes a recent disorder in the past year. This is lower than the us figure of 29%.

Mental disorders occur as often in women as in men, although the nature of the problems differs slightly. Women more often have depression and anxiety problems, and for men alcohol and drugs play a greater role. Some groups run a greater risk of mental disorders, such as young people, people with a poor education or a low or average income, unemployed and disabled people, city dwellers, single people, children whose parents suffer of mental disorders and people with a history of abuse or neglect.

Anxiety disorders, depression and addiction (especially to alcohol) are the most common. One in five people have suffered at some time from anxiety disorders, 12% of whom in the last year. Another 20% of the population is reported to have once suffered from depression, more than 7% of whom in the last year.

We speak of alcohol abuse or dependence if a person drinks so excessively that it detrimentally affects his performance at home, at school, at work or in his spare time. In the event of abuse there is still some control over the drinking, but in the event of dependence (alcoholism) there is no longer any control. One in six people ever had to contend with problems like this, one in twelve in the past year. Drug abuse and dependence occur much less frequently, i.e., in about 3% of the adult population in their lifetime.

Mental disorders often do not come alone. More than a third of the adults with mental problems suffer from two or more disorders at a time, such as depression and anxiety disorders. The table on the right summarises the available data on mental disorders that meet the formal diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV).

Mental disorders can have far-reaching effects on the quality of life of an individual and everyone close to him. Anxiety, depression and alcohol dependence are among the most expensive diseases, comparable to lung cancer and heart attacks. Together with other mental disorders they cause 40% of the costs of sick leave and disability. More than 300,000 people receive disability benefits because of mental problems.

 

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This is a publication of the Ministry of Health, Welfare end Sports in co-operation with the Trimbos Institute (Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction)

 

© 2000 Trimbos lnstitute, Utrecht

 

For order of additional copies:

Trimbos lnstitute, P.O. Box 725,

3500 AS Utrecht, the Netherlands

Telephone 31 (0)30 297 11 00

[Ferre]

The prevalence of mental health problems among the Dutch is considerable. Almost one in four adults struggle annually with some mental disorder.

 

In the Netherlands 41% of all the people between the ages of 18 and 65 suffer or have suffered from a mental disorder one or more times.

More than 300,000 people receive disability benefits because of mental problems.

 

SCARY STATS....hehe, you would think there's bigger problems than a little pot smoking....

[Guest Urbanhog]

I have always believed the best way for the people with mental illness to improve and cope with their mental conditions/problems is do not treat them as outcasts, because I have known few people who were fine, then they suddenly have mental disorders, and their mates sort of get bit nervous, don't know how "to behave or act" around their "mental mate", if you keep treating them uncomfortably or ourcasts, it can make them more withdrawn to the society and end up being more lonely and they will end up having more problems and the governments will have to fork out more $$ towards the mental health area, to improve their "mental disorders".

 

It's all depend on the society's attuidues towards the people with mental health problems makes the big difference.

 

So if your mates go mental, just try forget that they have the mental problems, just keep talking and treating them as the way you want people to treat you, and you will be surprised.

 

I know what I am talking about, as I learnt the hard way, that made me wished that I treated my old mates in Tassie who went mental bit better, haven't contacted them for over 5 years now, and I heard from my mates that they have totally withdrawn from the society and their mental disorders haven't improved, in fact it has gotten worse, so I heard.

 

I learnt aa lot in this area as I do bit of volunteer work 1-2 days a fortnight with handicapped and people with mental illness, just taking them to places try get them to get active in the community rather than hiding in their homes/hostels.

 

If anyone who is brave and jobless and looking for a course at your local TAFE or college, to get a decent job with good wages, try to look into the courses related to mental health area, its a huge industry in Australia, and they are always looking for more careers. you will never be out of job, and you can get jobs anywhere in Australia, even overseas if you want go on "working holiday".

 

Urbanhog

[boulder]

Well written Urbanhog

[Guest Babybear]

MOst ppl do just get mental probs , some have it all there life , an it take a little thing like a weird or unusall drug, to some potionet drug that sets them off, Most ppl that have mental illness have it before they smoke, Butsh is not a bad thing but i find that most hydro smokers are the ones that get effected from it , Anzity from weed is usally caused buy low potasiem levels an bad diet , Smokers should make sure they eat a well balaced diet or get on muilty vitamins