An increasing number of young girls are seeking help for mental health issues, while boys are doing so less frequently, even though men remain significantly more likely to die by suicide than women. This was reported by Het Belang van Limburg on Thursday.
Figures requested by Flemish MP Sofie Mertens (CD&V) from Flemish minister of welfare Caroline Gennez (Vooruit) demonstrate a notable gender and age gap in the use of mental health services. Since 2019, the number of treatment pathways for underage girls at Mental Health Centres (CGGs) has risen by 27 per cent. In contrast, that number has dropped by 3 per cent for underage boys. Today, two out of every three people receiving care for complex mental health problems at a CGG are women.
But the lower number of boys seeking help does not mean they suffer less. “If we look at the suicide rates for men, we see that they are twice as high as for women,” said Mertens. “We need to ensure that men also take the step towards mental health care.”
The age divide is also clear: older people are underrepresented in mental health care. Only one in ten treatments at CGGs is for someone aged 60 or over, even though mental health struggles in later life are not uncommon.
