Mental health crisis among young men

• 1 in 3 young people (18-34 years old) in Norway suffer from serious psychological distress.

• 7% of young men (18-34 years old) say they have no friends.

• 1 in 4 young people have felt that death was the only way out and have attempted suicide, with men being three times more likely to take their own lives than women.

• Men are much less likely than women to seek mental health support when they need it.

• Nearly half of men who access therapy do not return after the first session, highlighting a disconnect between traditional mental health services and men's needs.

Inadequate public health capacity

• 3 out of 4 public psychologists in Norway have waiting times exceeding six months.

• “Patients placed on a waiting list often deteriorate more than if they had not received any follow-up at all. Almost anything is likely to have a positive effect compared to a waiting list.”
  — Joar Øveraas Halvorsen, Associate Professor and Specialist in Psychology at NTNU and St. Olavs Hospital, to NRK

• "I really need someone to talk to, but when there isn't enough help for everyone and others have it worse than me, I don't want to take up that space."
  – Anonymous (21), Spireverket

Economic and social costs

• Mental disorders cost Norwegian society up to 70 billion NOK annually

• Anxiety and depression are the most costly

• Failing to invest in preventative measures leads to higher societal costs in the long run.

Sources:
SHoT (Studentenes helse- og trivselsundersøkelse) 2022, “Fersk rapport: Unge i Norge i dyp krise” - Mental helse ungdom 2022, “Psykolog: – Vi trenger nye metoder for å nå menn som sliter” - forskning.no, “Har virkelig menn så mye bedre psykisk helse enn kvinner?” - forskning.no, “Tre av fire psykologer har minst et halvt års ventetid” - VG, “PSYK” - Folkeopplysningen NRK, “Angst og depresjon koster mest” - forskning.no