87% of young adults suffering with mental health in the Netherlands are back at work or in school, following effective clinical treatment, study reveals

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1 in 8 people globally suffers with a mental health disorder, whether that's anxiety, depression, an eating disorder or behavioural issues.

Poor mental health not only has the ability to impact the lives of those physically suffering with the symptoms and close ones around them, but also can have a profound effect in the workplace and within learning environments.

WHO states that an estimated 12 billion work days are lost each year due to absence in the workplace, with workers taking time off to recover from mental illness - equating to around $1trillion in lost productivity globally.

In the UK alone, 18 million work days are lost each year to poor mental health, which could cost employers between £42 - £45 billion annually, through presenteeism, staff turnover or sick leave. The problem continues within British schools too, with mental health charity Mind surveyed nearly 2900 young people in 2021 and found that 68% had reported being absent from school due to poor mental health.

Whilst having time off from work and school can help ease symptoms of mental health, it's a temporary solution and further help and support outside of the workplace might be necessary to get people back to work. Could providing support and teaching coping skills through short term, extensive clinical treatment to help young people cope better with their mental health symptoms be the solution to get them back into work or school?

Netherland's based Yes We Can Clinics (https://www.yeswecanclinics.com/) believes this is the right path to tread for those suffering with mental health issues. Yes We Can Clinics treats young people between the ages of 13 and 27 years old who are suffering from various mental health issues, addictions and behavioural problems. The clinic offers an intensive, 10 week clinical treatment programme which is tailored to each fellow that includes group and 1-2-1 therapy sessions to equip them with the tools and coping strategies when it comes to their own mental health. Therapy sessions can include outdoor sports activities, psycho-education, creative therapy and an extensive, mandatory family programme which includes parents of the fellows.

YWCC conducted a survey at the end of 2023 to determine how effective their treatment has been so far on 750 of their former fellows who received care at one of their clinics. The study revealed that 87% were now back in the workplace or at their place of study.

Over 8 in 10 young people (82%) stated they had returned to school or the workplace after their treatment had ended, with a further 5% focusing their efforts on returning to school, work or conducting voluntary work in the near future. Just 8% of former fellows mentioned they haven't yet introduced themselves back into the workplace, and 5% are only going back once in a while.

The survey also revealed positive changes outside of the workplace for many fellows too, particularly when it came to the quality of life and their support networks they currently have in place.

Just over a third of fellows (35%) said they're capable of enjoying life a lot more now, with nearly 4 in 10 people (39%) stating they're fairly capable of doing so. Only 4% of former fellows suggest they're completely incapable of enjoying their life following treatment, suggesting they still need support to get to a better place with their mental health.

The feeling of being comfortable and safe in your surroundings is an important factor for most people in life, however some young people aren't able to experience this and seek treatment and support to make that change. Nearly three quarters (74%) of former fellows suggested they're able to feel more safe and comfortable in life following their treatment programme, with 11% mentioning they now feel safer in all aspects of their life. Just 1% stated they still feel unsafe in their life, continuing to obtain support in order to start seeing improvements.

When asked about their support network, 8 in 10 participants mentioned they had seen a significant improvement, with over a third (35%) of those mentioning they have received plenty of support from their friends and family. Just under 2 in 10 (19%) former fellows mentioned that they experience limited support or none at all.

As with all treatments, it's expected that some fellows may experience relapse and require further treatment. Of those who took part in the survey, almost 6 in 10 participants (57%) have been in recovery and did not relapse at all. Just under 3 in 10 (28%) young people relapsed but picked back up on their recovery straight away following further treatment with YWCC, with a further 14% still suffering from relapse at the time the survey was conducted.

Speaking on the conclusion of the survey, Jan Willem Poot, founder of the Yes We Can Healthcare Group stated:

"We are deeply humbled and grateful for the trust that parents and adolescents have placed in us. The outcomes of our recent research, showing that 87% of our former patients have successfully returned to work or study, fill us with pride. The fact that 74% of our fellows don't require any specialist care anymore after treatment at YWCC motivates us to keep on going and to help more fellows and their families from all over the world. It's heartwarming to see that they review their lives after treatment with a much higher grade than before.

However, we remain acutely aware of the 8% of young people who have not yet reintegrated into the workplace, as well as the 14% who experienced relapse at the time of the survey. These fellows are always at the forefront of our minds as we continually review and improve our methods. Whether through exploring new perspectives on nutrition during mental health treatment, incorporating advancements in AI and machine learning into our processes, or collaborating with renowned Dutch universities, our commitment to finding better ways to support every young person remains unwavering."

Bestseweg 34
5688 NP Oirschot
The Netherlands

For more information about YWCC, please contact Lena Heffels, director of communications at the Yes We Can Healthcare Group: lena.heffels@yeswecangroup.com

Yes We Can Youth Clinics treats teenagers and young adults (aged 13-25) with mental health issues, addictions and behavioural problems. Based in The Netherlands, Yes We Can Clinics provides a 10-week, all-English in-patient treatment programme, extensive aftercare and thorough family care make us one of the leading treatment centres for young adults in the world.

This release was published on openPR.