Mental health support in services

Mental health services aim to prevent, mitigate, and treat mental health disorders and their consequences. However, mental health can also be promoted within many other services and customer encounters. For this reason, it is important to raise the topic of mental health not only within mental health services, but also in other health and social services.

Migrants living in Finland generally have the same rights to health and social services as the rest of the population, and the treatment provided to migrants should be organised in the same way as for others. Rights to receive services are different, however, for adult asylum seekers who do not yet have a municipality of residence in Finland and for undocumented persons.

In addition to basic public services, mental health support services aimed specifically at migrants are also provided by a few specialised regional actors. In addition to needs assessment and providing treatment, many actors also provide training and consultation on the topic of mental health.

The PALOMA Centre of Expertise, which is coordinated by THL, has compiled on its website details of the various national and regional actors.

Issues in the availability of mental health services

People from different backgrounds may face a variety of challenges when seeking help from mental health services. Treatment is not always provided in the same way to everyone.

Studies suggest that migrants make too little use of mental health services given the scale of their needs, and that the duration of specialised psychiatric care received by migrants is shorter than that received by the Finnish-born population.

Service accessibility may be affected by factors such as:

Lack of familiarity with the service system

Mental health services are organised differently in different countries. There are also differences in the way mental health disorders are treated. It may not be easy for a migrant customer to obtain information on how mental health services are organised in Finland, and it may be difficult for them to use an unfamiliar service system.

Lack of a common language

If the customer and the professional do not share a common language, this may present obstacles to seeking or receiving treatment. In discussion-based mental health care, language is a key tool, and communication difficulties can complicate the treatment process in many ways.

Working with assistance from an interpreter is a key solution in situations where there is no common language.
Working with the assistance of an interpreter (Support material website)

To facilitate access to mental health services and achieve greater equality in the treatment received by different population groups, people should be provided with multilingual and easy-to-understand information about the mental health services available and how to access them.

The service system does not always consider the needs of the individual

Social welfare and healthcare professionals working on different levels of the service system may lack the necessary competence for engaging with and treating people from different backgrounds. In such cases, it may be difficult to identify mental health disorders and refer the customers for appropriate treatment.

On the other hand, even if professionals have the desire and knowledge to work in a culturally sensitive way, the service system does not always facilitate it – for example, working effectively with interpreter assistance is not always possible.

The cultural sensitivity of services, both at the professional and organisational level, is important to prevent the development of prejudice and experiences of not being treated appropriately. Through development and maintaining a service system that considers and respects different cultural, linguistic and individual backgrounds, it is also possible to ensure that the treatment received by customers is carried out appropriately.

Professionals should be provided with adequate training and support for skills development.
Cultural competence and cultural sensitivity (Support material website)

Different conceptions of mental health

Mental health and mental disorders are understood in different ways in different communities. For some people, the very concept of mental health may be foreign. Some people may seek help for mental health problems from a religious community, for example, instead of from mental health services.

People may also experience shame about mental health disorders, and this can prevent them from seeking out or using the services available.

It is important to provide information on how mental health is understood and supported in Finland in a multilingual manner, in a variety of ways, and in a form that is easy to understand.

How is mental health supported in different services?

Mental health is supported and promoted in similar ways at all levels of the service system regardless of the client’s cultural background. When working with migrants, however, consideration should be given, among other things, to culturally sensitive working methods and working with the assistance of an interpreter.

Promoting mental health

Mental health promotion refers to activities which support mental health at the individual, community, and structural levels.
Promoting the mental health of migrants

Raising the topic of mental health

Sometimes professionals can find it difficult to raise the topic of mental health. Nevertheless, it is advisable to ask directly about mental health symptoms.
Raising the topic of mental health

Identifying mental health problems

We approach mental health from our own cultural and professional perspectives and experiences, and it may therefore be more difficult to identify mental health problems if they are expressed differently than we are used to.
Identifying mental health problems