Mental health problems are lasting longer today than they did a decade ago, according to a large Dutch study published in Psychological Medicine.

The share of adults who experienced a mental disorder again during the next three years rose from 42.7 per cent to 57.9 per cent across two study periods.

Anxiety disorders showed a marked change. The share of people with anxiety who experienced another anxiety disorder during follow-up rose from about 24 per cent to 40 per cent.

For mood disorders, the share increased from roughly 34 per cent to 49 per cent. Substance use disorders also became more persistent.

The researchers used two national surveys of randomly selected adults in the Netherlands. The first began in 2007-2009 with 6,646 people, and the second in 2019-2022 with 6,194 people.

Participants aged 18 to 64 were interviewed again about three years later using the same diagnostic rules.

The study cannot explain why persistence increased. Changes in awareness, diagnosis, treatment and wider social conditions could all play a role.

The findings suggest treatment systems need to plan for longer-term care, not just short episodes of illness.