A quarter of people with serious mental illnesses do not receive care and are off the radar of mental healthcare services. That amounts to an estimated 62,500 adults, the Dutch Mental Health Association (GGZ) said in a new report.

According to the GGZ, people with a serious mental illness often “fall between the cracks” when they return to society after a care admission or prison sentence. This is partly due to there being too few (rental) homes available for people with mental health problems.

People are more likely to fall off the radar if it is unclear who is responsible for them, the GGZ said. This increases the risk of relapse or homelessness.

“A discharge from a clinic, a move, or the end of detention should not become the moment when someone loses their support. A psychological vulnerability does not disappear when a treatment plan or sentence ends,” said Ruth Peetboom, chair of the GGZ. “Yet we still too often organize our support as if that were the case. It is precisely in those transitional moments that things go wrong.”

The GGZ report, titled Blijvend dichtbij, or “Staying close” in English, makes several recommendations to ensure that people remain visible. For instance, assertive outreach care must be available in all municipalities, ensuring that people who avoid care are identified sooner. There must also be more housing for people with mental health issues. And it must be clear who is assisting a person after discharge during the transition to their new situation.

Earlier this year, the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) also released a report saying that a significant proportion of adults with serious mental health problems receive no or insufficient care and support.