Young people are recovering their mental health: the rate of athletes doubles and emotional distress falls.

BarcelonaAlmost six years after the shock of the COVID-19 lockdown, indicators of young people's mental health are beginning to show signs of improvement. While it cannot be said that the effects of the crisis are over, those now between 15 (who were children in 2020) and 29 years old report having healthier habits and behaviors, although in most cases the results are still worse than before 2019. The latest results from the FAD Foundation and Mutua Madrileña, presented this Thursday in Madrid, indicate that three out of four young people surveyed consider their health to be "good or very good," a figure slightly below the 77% reported in 2019, but above the 54% in the survey conducted immediately after the pandemic ended.

The return to post-pandemic normalcy, with the full resumption of activities and schedules, has led these young people to be more active in practicing sports, even more so than before COVID-19. 42% say they exercise almost every day, a figure that has doubled since before the pandemic and is 10 percentage points higher than those who exercised in 2013. Similarly, the number of sedentary individuals has been reduced by almost half, and today only one in ten of this age group does not do any activity, especially among them.

Another positive finding of this study relates to the state of the mental and emotional health of young people, one of the groups that suffered the most from the consequences of the closure of social spaces and being confined to their homes in front of screens. 43% of young people report having had no mental health problems in the last 12 months, a figure seven points higher than in 2013, but still far from the 66% reported in the 2017 survey. (In 2019, the figure was 11%, and in 2017, 6%). There are also gender differences, with girls continuing to experience more distress; specifically, 6 out of 10 girls report it compared to 5 out of 10 boys.

Anxiety continues to rise

Perhaps institutional campaigns and the exposure of well-known figures who discuss mental health problems explain why more young people today are seeking professional help, as well as confiding in family and friends about their concerns. However, a third of young people suffer in silence "out of shame" or because they prefer to remain silent. The main complaints young people describe are fatigue or apathy, difficulty concentrating, and sadness. The survey reveals that anxiety is the only symptom that has been steadily increasing since 2021, affecting 40%. Despite a decrease in the consumption of psychotropic drugs, a worrying 26% of young people are still taking them, four points lower than in 2023. These are antidepressants, anxiolytics, or hypnotics, which 6% take without a prescription, a similar percentage to those who alternate with prescribed medication. While there are no major gender differences, women consume more drugs under professional supervision, and the highest consumption rate is among those aged 20 to 25. This year, 2025, marks the first slowdown in suicidal ideation among young people. 43% of those surveyed have experienced suicidal thoughts at some point, compared to 48.9% two years ago. The number of those who think about suicide frequently has also halved in the last two years, reaching 6%.