Quick answer
In the Netherlands the average wait for mental health treatment to start is 24 weeks (NZa, autumn 2025), with over 100,000 people on a waiting list. In Flanders you typically wait 2 weeks to 6 months at a CGG. If you want help sooner: a first-line psychologist (BE, reimbursed), the POH-GGZ at your GP (NL), or independent vetted professionals without waiting lists — via MentraNova usually with first contact within 24 hours.
All figures in this article come from public sources (NZa, Sciensano, RIZIV, Staten-Generaal GGZ) — the full source list is at the bottom.
Nearly 1 in 5 Belgians lives with a psychological disorder, and according to the Belgian health survey the share of people with anxiety symptoms rose to 13% and with depressive symptoms to 13% (up from 11% and 9% in 2018). The picture in the Netherlands is similar. But anyone seeking help runs into the same problem in both countries: waiting lists.
This article lays out the most recent, verifiable figures on mental health care waiting times — for the Netherlands and Flanders — and honestly discusses which routes are faster.
The Netherlands: an average wait of 24 weeks
The Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) publishes waiting-time data for mental health care (ggz) twice a year. The most recent figures (autumn 2025) are stark:
- 24 weeks average wait until treatment starts — 3 weeks longer than a year earlier.
- 101,134 people were on a waiting list for mental health treatment in October 2025.
- More than half wait longer than the agreed 14-week maximum (the “Treeknorm”); that number grew 35% in a single year.
- The wait for an intake interview alone averages 14 weeks — while the agreed maximum is 4 weeks.
- For personality disorders the average wait runs to 32 weeks; consumer programme Radar and MIND flagged outliers of up to two years.
The NZa itself concluded in early 2025 that waiting times in mental health care remain stubbornly long. Worth knowing: these figures cover the specialised institutions. Starting at your GP practice, the POH-GGZ (mental health practice nurse) is often available much sooner as a first step.
Flanders: 2 weeks to 6 months at a CGG
In Belgium, the public route runs through the Centres for Mental Health Care (CGG). Waiting times vary widely by region and care need, but typically range from 2 weeks to 6 months; for specialised care it can take up to a year.
- The large-scale waiting-times report by the Staten-Generaal of Mental Health Care measured an average of 50 days to the first intake interview at a CGG, and another 53 days until treatment started — over three months in total.
- Private practices are full too: the Flemish association of clinical psychologists described the situation as “even the waiting list is full”.
- Since 2022 the RIZIV/INAMI convention for first-line psychological care offers reimbursed sessions, without a GP referral, and free for young people up to and including 23.
- Its reach remains limited, however: only 2.5% of Belgians received reimbursement through the convention last year, plus 2.7% via their health insurance fund.
Netherlands vs. Flanders: the figures side by side
| Netherlands (ggz) | Flanders (CGG) | |
|---|---|---|
| Average wait until treatment | 24 weeks (NZa, autumn 2025) | 2 weeks – 6 months, depending on region |
| Agreed norm | Max. 14 weeks (Treeknorm) | No binding norm |
| People waiting | 101,134 (Oct 2025) | Not centrally published |
| Outliers | Up to 2 years (Radar/MIND) | Up to 1 year for specialised care |
| Faster alternative (public) | POH-GGZ via your GP | First-line psychologist (RIZIV convention, no referral) |
| Faster alternative (independent) | Vetted independent psychologists, therapists & coaches — e.g. via MentraNova, first contact usually <24h | |
Why waiting is so harmful
Waiting is not neutral. Reporting around the NZa figures shows that symptoms often worsen while people wait: what starts as mild low mood or stress can grow into a much heavier care need over months of waiting. That is exactly why both Dutch and Belgian institutions advise against sitting out the wait passively.
What can you do if you don’t want to (or can’t) wait?
1. Start with first-line care. In the Netherlands, the POH-GGZ at your GP practice is often available within 1–2 weeks. In Belgium you can see a first-line psychologist under the RIZIV convention without a referral — reimbursed, and free up to and including age 23.
2. Map your symptoms. A validated self-test is not a diagnosis, but it helps you sharpen your story for the first conversation. Try the burnout test or the stress test.
3. Look beyond the institutions. Alongside public mental health care, thousands of independent psychologists, therapists and coaches are working — and their waiting times are often far shorter. The hard part is finding and comparing them. MentraNova solves exactly that: you share your story (free), get matched with vetted professionals who have room now, and usually have first contact within 24 hours. No referral letter needed.
4. In a crisis: never wait. In the Netherlands call 113 (0800-0113); in Belgium call the Suicide Line 1813. In acute danger: 112.
Don’t wait — start
Matched for free based on your story. Vetted psychologists, therapists and coaches. First contact usually within 24 hours. No referral needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the most recent figures from the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa, autumn 2025), people wait an average of 24 weeks for mental health treatment to start — 3 weeks longer than a year earlier. Over 100,000 people are on a waiting list, and more than half wait longer than the agreed 14-week maximum (the “Treeknorm”).
At a public Centre for Mental Health Care (CGG) in Flanders you typically wait 2 weeks to 6 months depending on region and care needs; for specialised care it can take up to a year. Many private practices are full too — the professional association VVKP reported that even the waiting lists are full.
The Treeknorm is the maximum acceptable waiting time agreed between Dutch care providers and insurers: at most 4 weeks until intake and at most 14 weeks in total until treatment starts. In practice this norm is structurally exceeded: the average wait for an intake interview alone has grown to 14 weeks — the norm for the entire process.
Three routes are usually faster: (1) in Belgium, a first-line psychologist under the RIZIV/INAMI convention — reimbursed and without a GP referral; (2) in the Netherlands, the POH-GGZ at your GP practice as a first step; (3) independent, vetted psychologists, therapists and coaches outside the institutions. Via MentraNova you are matched for free based on your story, usually with first contact within 24 hours.
Sources
- NZa — “Wachttijden ggz blijven lang” (February 2025)
- Zorgkrant — sharp increase in ggz waiting times (on the NZa autumn 2025 data)
- GGZ Nieuws — unacceptable ggz waiting times in 2025
- Radar & MIND — ggz waits running up to two years
- Staten-Generaal GGZ (BE) — report “Waiting for psychological help”
- VVKP — “Even the waiting list is full”
- RIZIV — first-line psychological care (convention)
- VRT NWS — reach of the psychologist reimbursement convention (October 2025)
- Sciensano — nearly 1 in 5 Belgians has a psychological disorder
- Gezond België — anxiety and depression figures (health survey)