Women and young people suffer the most from anxiety and stress.

Women and young people are the groups most vulnerable to mental health problems, according to the results of a survey published this Sunday, which shows they are the groups most affected by anxiety and stress.

The findings are based on a survey of 7,576 people conducted between September and December by Deco Proteste in Portugal, Belgium, Spain and Italy, whose national results were published as World Health Day is celebrated.

Among 1,563 respondents in Portugal, 57% of women reported any mental or emotional health problems in the previous three months, much lower compared to the 35% of men who had the same experience.

Anxiety, the most common problem, affected 43% of women, twice as many as men. Women also suffer the most from stress (35% compared to 21%) and sleep problems (35% compared to 21%).

Continuing the same trend, mental health problems appear to affect younger age groups significantly more.

Between the ages of 18 and 34, 70% of women reported problems in the past three years, compared to 47% of men in the same age group.

When asked whether they had felt a lot or very much pain in the previous month, more than half of young people said they had: more than 42% of respondents aged 35 to 54 years and 33% of those aged 55 to 79 years.

As a person ages, the article notes, constant emotional instability, which affects 31% of young people, disappears from the list of the most common complaints.

On the other hand, the results show that there is still a stigma associated with seeking help for mental health problems, as among those surveyed who reported psychological problems in the past three years, only 43% followed up with treatment.

Among the majority who chose not to do so, more than half (56%) said they could handle the problem alone, and 18% said they were uncomfortable talking about the topic.

Of those who received any treatment, 65% were taking medications with antidepressants, anxiolytics, sleeping pills and other drugs, and about half were receiving psychotherapy, with 31% using “natural products” and 27% using relaxation and meditation practices.

Although psychotherapy is not the most popular option, it is the most satisfying, with 66% receiving their first consultation within two weeks. As for the population, in the private sector the speed of booking a first appointment is higher, but the cost of treatment is also much higher, which can reach an average of 137 euros per month.

The survey also looked at possible reasons such as unemployment, loss of a loved one, financial difficulties and family or partner conflicts.

However, the results show that Portugal was the only one of the four countries assessed in which the situation was not associated with a significant increase in the volume of complaints and that for financial difficulties or comfort the proportion of respondents reporting problems is similar. .

There is also no clear effect of exercise on mental health, although those who do not exercise appear to be more vulnerable.