EU: Levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms higher than pre-pandemic

Health at a Glance report.

But in the pandemic, almost or even everyone suffered mentally - although not all equally. The OECD and the European Commission emphasize that mental health is no less important than physical health. On the contrary - it is crucial for the chances of a healthy and productive life. “Mental health problems can have a significant impact on life, such as poorer educational outcomes, higher unemployment risk and poorer physical health.”

The pandemic has exacerbated risk factors affecting mental health while weakening protective factors. And it led to an "unprecedented" decline in mental health in the first two years of its existence. The report finds that the incidence of anxiety and depressive symptoms has doubled in some EU countries. What's more, although their peak was in 2020-2021, research conducted in the spring of 2022 admittedly confirmed (in the countries where they were conducted) decreases - but still the levels of anxiety and depression symptoms are higher than before the pandemic.

It is hardly surprising, since the pandemic is not over yet, when Europe has been affected by the war in Ukraine with all its consequences - the refugee crisis, economic tensions related to the embargo and supplies of raw materials, high inflation and an increase in the sense of uncertainty and instability. Data from the Eurofound e-survey indicate that in the spring of 2022, approx. 55 percent. of EU citizens should be considered at risk of depression: "The proportion of people at risk of depression ranged from around 40% to in Slovenia, Denmark and the Netherlands to around 65%. in Poland, Greece and Cyprus. What's more - this indicator in the spring of 2022 was higher - almost everywhere - than in the spring of 2020.