“It’s precisely those who need help who often don’t get it.” That sounds ironic. But it’s precisely what psychologist and @ease researcher Sophie Leijdesdorff demonstrates in her dissertation.
Most mental health disorders begin before the age of 25. That’s exactly when you’re still figuring life out, growing, learning, becoming who you are. But struggling with your mental health at that stage can really throw things off. And yet, research shows that young people with these struggles are the least likely to get the right support.
In other words: there’s a significant mismatch between what young people need and what’s being offered. And yet, the consequences of a lack of help are significant, both for young people themselves and for society.
Young people want help, but get stuck
Dr. Sophie Leijdesdorff earned her PhD in 2021 at Maastricht University, based on data from young people who visited @ease. Our walk-in centres, made for young people aged 12 to 25, offer a safe and easy place to talk about mental health, relationships, school, work, money, or anything else that’s on your mind.
Her research shows just how heavy the mental load is for many young people.
A lot of them who came to @ease were already dealing with serious struggles that affected their daily lives. Still, three out of four hadn’t received any kind of support yet.
Why? Because there are lots of barriers when it comes to asking for help.
Young people wonder if their problems are “bad enough.” They feel ashamed. Don’t know where to start. Or they give up when faced with waiting lists or complicated intake procedures.
@ease as an example of what works
All around the world, new initiatives are popping up to support youth mental health.
@ease is the Dutch version of the successful Australian initiative headspace.
Young people can drop by or chat with trained peers, backed by professionals.
Leijdesdorff’s PhD research shows why places like @ease really matter.
It proves that this kind of low-threshold support reaches young people who would otherwise be left out. The conversations at @ease help them share their story, make sense of what’s going on, and if needed, take a next step.
What needs to change?
Leijdesdorff comes to a powerful conclusion: if we truly want to help young people, we must fundamentally revise the way care is organized. This requires:
- Investing in informal, accessible settings like @ease. Not as a replacement, but as a supplement to regular care.
- Assistance that doesn’t stop at 18, but continues beyond the age limit
- A diagnosis-transcending approach that looks at the young person as a whole, not just at complaints
- More transparency about healthcare costs, so that young people understand what they can expect
- More social attention for mental health among young people, so that talking about your feelings becomes the most normal thing in the world
Practice and science hand in hand
What makes this PhD research so special is that it wasn’t just theory. It was deeply connected to the everyday practice at @ease. The young people who took part in the study also got support themselves. And the insights gained were immediately used to improve how @ease works.
This creates a valuable interaction between practice and science with the aim of helping young people in a timely manner, in a way that suits them.
Curious about all the results?
Read the full scientific article here, titled “Ain’t no mountain high enough: How to improve access to youth mental health care”.
Do you have questions about our scientific research? Feel free to contact us, we’d be happy to tell you more.