Anxiety and depression

1. Key messages

2. The prevalence of anxiety and depression from 2020 onwards

On the dashboard of Sciensano, you can find dynamic data visualizations about mental health during the COVID-19 crisis.

During the COVID-19 crisis, there was a significant rise in anxiety disorders and depressive disorders, particularly during peaks in contamination and the introduction of strict measures. In December 2020, 23% of the population suffered from anxiety disorders and 22% from depressive disorders.

Although a decrease has been observed in 2022, with anxiety and depressive disorders affecting 15% to 19% and 13% to 17% of the population respectively, depending on the month considered; these figures are still higher than those for 2018, when 11% of the population suffered from anxiety disorders and 9% from depressive disorders. It should be noted that in 2022, despite the announcement of the end of the COVID-19 crisis, other major crises emerged, such as the war in Ukraine and its economic consequences.

The data collected from 2023 onwards indicate a gradual decline in these problems among the population. In June 2023, 15% and 12% of people had anxiety and depressive disorders respectively.

In Belgium, the groups most at risk of developing anxiety and depression disorders include women, young adults aged between 18 and 29, people with lower education, people living alone with children, and residents of Wallonia.

In June 2023, young women aged 18 to 29 are more likely to present signs of anxiety disorders (25%) than young men (16%). Men aged 18-29 are more likely to develop depression than the opposite sex of the same age (21% and 14% respectively). The prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders is higher in young people (18-29) than in people aged 65 years and older. Signs of anxiety are present in 20% of young people (18-29) and 7% of people aged 65 years and older, and signs of depression are observed in 17% of young people (18-29) and 6% of people aged 65 years and older.

3. The prevalence of anxiety and depression in 2018

Women present more often an anxiety and depressive disorder compared to men

Based on these psychometrics questionnaires, in 2018, 11.2% of the Belgian population aged 15 and over presented an anxiety disorder and 9.4% presented a depressive disorder. For both disorders, women had a higher prevalence (14.2% for anxiety and 10.7% for depression) than men (7.9% for anxiety and 8% for depression).

The trend shows that anxiety remains high over time, while depression returns to its pre-2013 level

The prevalence of anxiety disorders increased among people of both sexes in 2013 compared with previous years, and this increase was maintained in 2018.

The prevalence of depressive disorders also increased in 2013 among people of both sexes. Subsequently, in 2018, the pre-2013 figures were repeated, with a clearer drop among women than among men between these two years. It should be noted, however, that the questionnaires used to assess the presence of anxiety and depression were different in 2018 than in previous surveys. Consequently, trends should be interpreted with caution.

The Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region have a higher prevalence compared to the Flemish Region

The Walloon Region had a higher prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders compared to the Brussels Capital Region and the Flemish Region and the Brussels Capital Region had a higher prevalence compared to the Flemish Region.

Between 2008 and 2013, the prevalence of anxiety disorders increased in all regions. Between 2013 and 2018, it continued to rise in the Walloon region, especially among women but also among men, whereas this was not the case in the other regions.

Depressive disorders have been less frequent in the Flemish Region than in the Brussels-Capital Region and the Walloon Region among women since measurements began in 2001, and among men since 2008.

People in the lowest educational group were more likely to present an anxiety or depressive disorder

There is a strong socio-economic gradient in the prevalence of mental health disorders. After age-adjustment, anxiety disorders were 2.3 times more frequent in people from the lowest educational group compared to the highest educational group. Depressive disorders were 3 times more frequent in people from the lowest educational group compared to the highest educational group.

4. Read more

View the metadata for this indicator

HISIA: Interactive Analysis of the Belgian Health Interview Survey

If you are in distress or in need of emotional/psychological support, do not hesitate to call 02 648 40 14 for the community help service helpline, or visit the Community Help Service online.

Background

Mental health is the capacity of each of us to feel, think, and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is a positive sense of emotional and spiritual well-being that respects the importance of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections, and personal dignity [12]. Due to the high frequency of mental problems in Western societies and the significance of their costs in human, social, and economic terms, mental health is now regarded as a public health priority. Mental health particularly deteriorated during the COVID-19 crisis.

In Belgium, the Health Interview Survey is one of the main sources of systematic data on mental health parameters in the general population. During the COVID-19 crisis, regular online health surveys were organized at regular time intervals to follow the evolution of the mental health of the population.

Among the various dimensions of mental health that are monitored in this survey, we focus on the following two disorders:

• Prevalence of anxiety disorders based on the self-report psychometric instruments GAD-7
• Prevalence of depressive disorders based on the self-report psychometric instruments PHQ-9.

However, it should be noted that the evaluation of mental health problems in the population through a health survey has a number of limitations. These are mainly related to the fact that the estimates are based on screening instruments for psychological problems and thus are not obtained by clinical diagnostic tools, which may be more nuanced. Nevertheless, the results of general population health surveys are generally in line with the findings of specific mental health surveys.

More serious mental health disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorders are not presented here. Indeed, health interview surveys are not a valid instrument to capture such complex conditions. Moreover, information about suicidal behaviours can be found on a specific page.

Definitions

GAD-7: General Anxiety Disorder 7-item

The GAD-7 is a screening tool for general anxiety disorder. Participants aged 15 and over are asked to evaluate the frequency, if ever, of experiencing 7 core symptoms in the last 2 weeks. The scores obtained allow to evaluate the symptom severity.

Anxiety disorders

Participants aged 15 and over with a score of 10 or over out of 21 in the GAD-7 tool were considered to have an anxiety disorder.

PHQ-9: Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item depression scale

The PHQ-9 is a screening tool for major depressive disorder and other depressive disorders. Participants aged 15 and over are asked to evaluate the frequency in which they have been bothered by 9 problems in the last 2 weeks.

Depressive disorders

Participants aged 15 and over with a combination of answers meeting the criteria specific for major depressive disorder and other depressive disorders for the PHQ-9 were considered to have a depressive disorder.

References

1. Première enquête de santé COVID-19 : résultats préliminaires. Deposit number D/2020/14.440/50. Brussels: Sciensano; 2020. doi: 10.25608/ydnc-dk63
2. Deuxième enquête de santé COVID-19 : résultats préliminaires. Deposit number D/2020/14.440/52. Brussels: Sciensano; 2020. doi: 10.25608/rkna-ee65
3. Troisième enquête de santé COVID-19 : résultats préliminaires. Deposit number D/2020/14.440/54. Brussels: Sciensano; 2020. doi: 10.25608/xkg3-xz50
4. Quatrième enquête de santé COVID-19 : résultats préliminaires. Deposit number D/2020/14.440/80. Brussels: Sciensano; 2020. doi: 10.25608/jmgf-2028
5. Cinquième enquête de santé COVID-19 : résultats préliminaires. Deposit number D/2020/14.440/96. Brussels: Sciensano; 2020. doi: 10.25608/xcxd-7784
6. Sixième enquête de santé COVID-19 : résultats préliminaires. Deposit number D/2021/14.440/30. Brussels: Sciensano; 2021. doi: 10.25608/j877-kf56
7. Septième enquête de santé COVID-19 : résultats préliminaires. Deposit number D/2021/14.440/50. Brussels: Sciensano; 2021. doi: 10.25608/ht7a-8923
8. Huitième enquête de santé COVID-19 : résultats préliminaires. Deposit number D/2021/14.440/82. Brussels: Sciensano; 2021. doi: 10.25608/hqy9-m065
9. Neuvième enquête de santé COVID-19 : résultats préliminaires. Deposit number D/2022/14.440/3. Brussels: Sciensano; 2022. doi: 10.25608/evrs-je22
10. Dixième enquête de santé COVID-19 : résultats préliminaires. Deposit number D/2022/14.440/18. Brussels: Sciensano; 2022. doi: 10.25608/mve9-bk51
11. Health Interview Survey, Sciensano, 1997-2018. https://www.sciensano.be/en/projects/health-interview-survey
12. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/mental-health/mental-health-promotion.html

Please cite this page as: Sciensano. Mental Health: Anxiety and depression, Health Status Report, 19 Sep 2023, Brussels, Belgium, https://www.healthybelgium.be/en/health-status/mental-health/anxiety-and-depression