The foundation of mental health is built during childhood and adolescence. Growth and learning environments can, at their best, support the development of psychological resources, but inequality and the accumulation of problems create major differences in children’s and young people’s starting points. The importance of childhood and adolescence for well being must be recognized in order to effectively support mental health in everyday life.
Developing mental health work for children and young people
The aim of the National Mental Health Strategy is to improve access to psychosocial treatments and interventions and to create a cooperation structure in which the university hospital districts and competence centers coordinate the availability and regional dissemination of evidence based treatments, taking into account also sparsely populated areas. In the projects of the Social and Health Centre Programme (2020–2023), the adoption of effective psychosocial methods for young people was required.
This goal is supported by the therapy guarantee for people under 23, which entered into force in May 2025. It aims to ensure that children and young people gain access to short term psychotherapy within primary health care as well as to structured short term interventions within social and health services within one month.
The implementation and integration of these methods into the social and health service system require clarifying the roles of basic and specialized services and coordinating service structures. As a recommended measure for further service development, it is proposed that primary health care establish multidisciplinary teams for children (7–12 years) and young people (13–24 years), led by general practitioners but supported by integrated specialist consultation. These teams would assume the main responsibility for assessing and treating mild and moderate disorders.
More information:
- Children's and young people's mental health symptoms are increasing: what can decision makers do to improve services? (in Finnish, Julkari)
- More effective mental health services for children and young people: policy recommendation (in Finnish, Julkari)
Gender diversity – Young people’s wellbeing and meeting young people in health and social services
One of the tasks of the Mental Health Strategy has been to prevent mental health disorders and suicides among young people belonging to gender minorities as well as the discrimination they face. The work has promoted timely and resource oriented support and care for young people belonging to gender minorities and improved the functionality of service pathways and cooperation. In addition, the knowledge base has been developed, access to information improved, and social and health care professionals trained on the topic of gender diversity.
Gender diversity – Young people’s wellbeing and meeting young people in health and social services (in Finnish, Julkari)