On behalf of the Dutch Collaborative Health Funds, Verian studied how stress, mental pressure, coping mechanisms, and social support are interconnected among people in the Netherlands. A key part of this research focused specifically on young people—a group increasingly dealing with performance pressure, mental strain, and feelings of loneliness.
The insights from this study ultimately formed an important foundation for the national campaign ‘The Power of Attention’.
Challenge
The research question: what causes stress among young people, and what helps?
The Dutch Collaborative Health Funds aimed to better understand which factors contribute to stress and mental pressure among the Dutch population, and which protective factors help people remain resilient. For young people, this question was especially relevant. Public debate often focuses on academic pressure, social media, and mental health, but less is known about which factors young people themselves associate with stress and well-being.
Verian therefore examined, among other things:
- which sources of stress young people experience;
- the role of social connection, support, and resilience;
- how young people cope with stress;
- which behaviours and circumstances are associated with higher or lower levels of stress.
- school or studies;
- feeling like they have too much to do in a single day;
- mental health and psychological challenges;
- pressure to meet others’ expectations or their own.
The research went beyond mental health alone. The combination of social relationships, coping behaviour, lifestyle, and daily pressures proved essential to understanding stress among young people.
Approach
Treating young people as a separate study population
To gain deep insight into the lived experiences of young people, Verian conducted a separate study for this group, using NIPObase — one of the largest, most responsive, and representative panels in the Netherlands. In total, 600 young people aged 10 to 17 participated in the study. The results are representative of Dutch youth in terms of gender, age, and region.
The study used an online questionnaire. Participants aged 10 to 15 were invited via their parents, ensuring that insights from younger age groups were collected in a careful and appropriate way.
The questionnaire was developed by Verian in collaboration with Samenwerkende Gezondheidsfondse (SGF) and focused not only on stress itself, but also on themes such as social support, loneliness, coping behaviour, lifestyle, screen use, and resilience. This created a broad behavioural picture of how young people experience stress and which factors may be protective.
What we learned about young people and stress
The results showed a nuanced but clear picture. Although young people generally rate their lives positively, nearly one in four feels often or very often stressed. In addition, 70% report that stress somewhat or significantly interferes with their daily lives.
The main sources of stress are:
The research also revealed important social patterns. Young people with lower stress levels are more likely to experience social support and a sense of belonging. 90% report having one or more groups where they feel at home, and 92% feel sufficiently supported by their environment — especially by family and friends.
At the same time, the study highlights a strong link between stress and social vulnerability. Forty-one per cent of young people report being bullied at some point, and nearly one third sometimes feel lonely. Young people with higher stress levels report these experiences significantly more often.
Coping behaviour also proved to be an important factor. Young people experiencing high stress are more likely to seek distraction through their phone, while those with lower stress more often report not doing so. Higher stress levels are also associated with less healthy eating habits and a higher likelihood of seeking professional help.
Overall, the research shows that stress among young people is not only about individual mental resilience, but is closely connected to social relationships, environmental support, and daily behaviour. Parents also express a strong need for support: 73% say they would like to know how they can help prevent stress in their children.
Impact
From behavioural research to campaign: the foundation of ‘The Power of Attention’
The insights from this study formed the content foundation for the campaign ‘The Power of Attention’. The campaign highlights how social attention, support, and small gestures from adults outside the parents can make a meaningful difference for young people experiencing stress.
Because the research showed that loneliness, lack of support, and social pressure are strongly linked to stress, the campaign focuses not only on the individual, but also on the role of the surrounding environment.
Using behavioural insights as a foundation, Verian helped translate societal signals into concrete guidance for communication and activation. In doing so, the research became not only a tool for understanding what is happening among young people, but also a starting point for real societal impact.
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