The figures from the Solidaris survey show it: the mental health of Belgians is deteriorating sharply. In ten years, the proportion of people who express an anxious, anxious or depressive state has increased from 10% in 2012 to 35% in 2022.
While needs have increased over the period due to the covid crisis and the economic crisis, social security coverage has remained stable. 14% of the population is affected by this care. This is the same figure in 2012 as in 2022.
Women particularly affected
This shows that there is a deficiency in terms of mental health care in our country. Some population groups are more affected than others. Women, with 39%, are more likely to report anxiety or depressive disorders than men, who represent 29% of cases.
“We know that women still have, and this has been well highlighted with the covid crisis, a greater mental load. Especially when they are the head of a single-parent family.“, says Delphine Ancel, head of the Solidaris institute.
People in precarious situations are also more affected by these disorders. They represent more than 56% of the population treated.
More drugs used
Medication continues to be an important part of mental health management. This year, 17% of respondents say they take it often or continuously. This is double compared to 10 years ago.
For the psychiatrist we interviewed, the use of drugs must be well thought out. “There is one thing that should not be forgotten, and that is that the support must be truly personalized. We must not generalize. Not everyone should be treated the same. Whether on the psycho-therapeutic level or on the medicinal level“, reacts William Pitchot, head of clinic at the CHU of Liège, psychiatry department.
Solidaris reminds patients that they can go directly to a registered psychologist and benefit from reimbursed consultations for up to 20 sessions per year.