Study Reveals Increased Longevity of Mental Health Conditions Over the Past Decade

Common mental disorders include anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders. Anxiety is characterized by excessive fear or worry, mood disorders involve prolonged sadness or elevated mood, and substance use disorders refer to an inability to control the use of drugs or alcohol despite adverse effects. In psychiatry, the ongoing presence of a condition is referred to as persistence.

Persistence can be assessed narrowly—if a person maintains the same diagnosis—or broadly—if they continue to experience any mental health issue, even if the diagnosis changes.

Researchers from the Netherlands observed a rising trend in mental health struggles leading up to this study. According to a 2023 survey, the proportion of individuals facing these common conditions rose significantly from 2007 to 2022.

Initial investigations questioned whether this increase was due solely to new cases. However, a 2026 study suggested that the rise could not be entirely attributed to first-time occurrences, prompting researchers to explore if existing conditions were lasting longer.

Led by Artemis Gkitakou, a PhD candidate at the Department of Psychiatry at Amsterdam UMC and the Trimbos Institute, the research aimed to determine whether individuals with a mental disorder are more likely to experience persistent problems today than 12 years ago.

Gkitakou noted that earlier research indicated a rise in the prevalence of anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders, which could not be fully explained by changes in risk factors. "We found that more individuals were developing these disorders for the first time, suggesting that the increase in incidence partly contributed to the overall rise in prevalence," she explained.

To investigate persistence, researchers analyzed data from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Studies (NEMESIS), which includes two large surveys of the Dutch public. The first group, interviewed between 2007 and 2009, was followed up three years later, while a second group was surveyed from 2019 to 2022 with a similar follow-up period.

The results indicated a notable increase in the duration of mental health problems. Among the earlier cohort, 42.7% of participants with a mental disorder still had one three years later; this figure rose to 57.9% in the more recent cohort. Gkitakou remarked that the differences were significant, indicating evolving challenges for treatment and recovery.

Specific categories also showed trends of increased persistence: anxiety conditions rose from 24.4% to 40.1%, mood conditions from 33.5% to 48.8%, and substance use conditions from 33.7% to 45.5% over the same period.

The research highlighted that using a broad definition of persistence yielded even higher figures. In the recent cohort, 41.6% of individuals with an initial anxiety disorder still experienced an anxiety disorder three years later, while 57.1% had any mental health issue at that time.

Gkitakou emphasized the importance of understanding patterns of recovery, saying, "Recovery should not solely be viewed in terms of the original diagnosis. People may transition between different disorders over time."

The study’s findings align with earlier research indicating that individuals often experience multiple mental disorders throughout their lives. Factors such as younger age, urban living, childhood trauma, and near-daily drug use were identified as predictors of persistent conditions.

While these risk factors remained stable over the years, Gkitakou pointed out that they do not account for the increased persistence of disorders. The study's reliance on self-reported symptoms means interpretations should be approached cautiously, and sample sizes for specific disorder combinations may limit detailed analysis.

Looking forward, Gkitakou expressed the necessity of understanding the drivers behind the increased persistence. The research prompts further investigation into societal, environmental, and healthcare-related factors that could influence recovery.

The study, titled “Are common mental disorders more persistent over time? Insights from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incident Studies (NEMESIS),” was co-authored by Gkitakou and several colleagues.