From 1999 to 2000 there has been a strong growth in the number of children and adults who have received treatment from the specialised mental health services. In 2000, 27358 children and young people received such treatment, which represents an increase of 4193 or 18% from 1999.

These numbers appear in a report from SINTEF Unimed with preliminary results from Samdata, concerning mental health care for 2000.

The increase varies from one county to another. The largest increases are found in the counties Sør-Trøndelag, Hordaland and Aust-Agder. It seems that the large differences between the counties regarding availability of treatment, are diminishing.

On a national level 2.6% of the population up to 18 years were admitted to treatment from mental health care for children and adults in 2000. The corresponding number for 1999 was 2.2%. Nine out of ten receive outpatient treatment. The increase in treatment offered was about as large for outpatient clinics as for residential treatment.

There has also been a positive development of treatment capacity in mental health care for adults. The number of people who have received residential treatment, measured by the number of dismissals, has increased with 2859, or 9%, and the number of outpatient consultations has increased with 1600, or 3%.

Even if these are preliminary results, they show a positive development. The growth within the mental health care for children and adults is especially satisfying. At the same time it is of great importance to carry on with further reinforcement; there is still a long way to go before the goals of the development plan for mental health care in Norway are reached.

We are about half way to gain the measure of treatment availability for 5% of the population up to 18 years. This means that far too many have to wait for treatment. Paradoxically, there is the possibility that with greater availability the demand will increase, so that the waiting lists also will increase. This, however, will contribute to give a more realistic estimate of the need for treatment than we have today.

Contact:
Sissel Fangen Ekern, +47 22 24 85 46