Opinions about the availability of mental health services in Finland have deteriorated since 2019.
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Nearly half of people in Finland think that the availability of mental health services in the country has again deteriorated, according to a health survey by the mental health organisation Mielenterveyden keskusliitto (MTKL).
The new survey found only four percent of respondents saying they think the availability of mental health services had improved.
Opinions about the issue of care access have continually worsened since 2019 in past surveys, according to the group. Back then, around a third of respondents said they thought mental health care availability had worsened.
However, the latest poll found 42 percent of respondents saying that mental health service access was adequate.
Earlier this autumn, Yle News’ podcast All Points North examined the trials and tribulations that foreigners in Finland can face when seeking out mental health care.
Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Bridging mental health care culture gaps
The most critical respondents were in Western Finland and around the Helsinki-Uusimaa area — as well as people under 30 and those in the lowest income bracket.
Confidence levels were higher among those with higher incomes and people in older demographic groups.
The highest confidence levels regarding mental health care access were found in Southern Finland, outside of the Helsinki-Uusimaa area, particularly among people over the age of 70 in the highest income bracket.
More than 90 percent of respondents said they think most suitable forms of mental health treatment in Finland are talk therapy and exercise. At the same time 84 percent said they support the activities of mental health organisations, while more than 80 percent considered medication a suitable form of treatment.
Around 2,000 adult Finns responded to the survey in February. The margin of error was approximately 2.2 percentage points in either direction.