Top Countries of 2024 With The Psychology and Mental Healthcare in The World

Last Updated: March 22, 2024

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Mental healthcare systems around the world have improved a lot over a period of time. Having said that, it still doesn't get the importance that is required. Especially during the pandemic, a lot of people experienced  a decline in their mental health and did not get the proper help they required due to the lockdown. A lot of countries, for the sake of their citizens, prioritized mental health and mental healthcare systems post pandemic.

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— M Jones (@NoUseForTrump) June 12, 2024

Sweden

Sweden has the top positive mental health index which basically gives the mental health status of a given population. However, it wasn't always like this. Mental health policies of Sweden had only focused on two things: people suffering from severe mental health issues and the youth or the children.  

Sweden has now developed various policies focusing on the entire population's mental health and ways to reverse a negative trend. Policy makers, policy implementers and individuals affected by a policy change have increased their knowledge within the field of interest to explore and analyze the development of a broadened mental health policy in Sweden. 

Germany

Germany has prioritized the mental well-being of its citizens for a long time. The government provides a vast support system to the people suffering from mental illness. The country has developed various outreach programs that promote visiting psychologists and testing for mental illness. It has put various efforts to reduce the social stigma related to mental health. 

With extensive healthcare services, Germany also runs programs to ease the transition from mental health hospital back to everyday life. It also has programs that provide the mentally ill with jobs. Germany makes sure that the mentally ill are properly taken care of. 

Finland

Finland has been ranked as one of the happiest countries on earth by the United nations. Due to the country's global reputation, young people feel less inclined to talk about their struggles. Mental health issues in Finland are not a new thing. The country has been focused on preventing suicide by strengthening mental health services throughout the country.

Educating the media on reporting suicides and improving public conversation on mental health has been the country’s main target. Fear of stigmatization regarding mental health is increasing as others continue to paint the country as the land of no worries. Officials have recognized this growing issue and have proposed a new Suicide Prevention Plan for 2020-2030. 

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— Emma webb (@ThewebstermWebb) June 15, 2023

France

The French government has always invested greatly for its citizen’s physical health though it cannot be said the same about mental health. The services in the country haven't been able to cope with the demands especially after the pandemic which caused a remarkable decline in the people’s mental health.

The country has announced free therapy sessions for children and young people and pledged to extend that to everyone who has a doctor’s prescription after facing challenges regarding health during the pandemic. Some of the health insurance may also cover the mental health costs in France. 

The Netherlands

The Netherlands has one of the best healthcare systems in Europe. The Dutch government states that mental health is integrated within the country’s health care system. The latest estimated budget for mental health in the Netherlands is currently at its highest. Mental health care services are available 24/7. 

People with severe mental health situations and those who require long term admissions, the government will cover the first three years of your treatment. If the condition is severe but does not require in-house treatment, the insurance will cover most costs of the “secondary care”. There is also a national mental health program Dare to ask Foundation that aims to open up the conversation about mental health among young people and encourage them to seek help. 

Italy

Italy has been doing relatively well in terms of mental health even after the pandemic. By 2000 all the mental hospitals in the country came to a stop because of the law which came into practice so that mental patients would receive the similar treatments as any other patients.  To combat the rising stress in its citizens because of the pandemic, the Italian government launched a national mental health service.

The national mental health service intended to combat the rise of mental distress in Italy. The program works with institutions and regional associations to provide free emergency help from psychoanalysts and psychologists. It can also provide necessary mental resources to low-income families and individuals living independently as they are more at risk of developing mental health disorders.

Norway

In Norway, the services for people with mental health problems have gone through major changes over the last decades. The number of people in psychiatric institutions has reduced. The health and care services of many municipalities in Norway employ psychologists, who offer short-term therapy for mild or moderate mental health problems and disorders. 

The municipality in which you live will offer a wide variety of treatments and support for people who are experiencing mental health problems. Some of the services made available to you are: the family’s house (where people of all ages can get help to look after their physical and mental wellbeing), healthy life centers (where u get help to change your lifestyle) and many more. 

Slovenia

Slovenia has made notable efforts to alleviate mental health difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Slovenia’s government has increased its commitment to address mental health. It has increased several services from newly formed institutions and programs. The health promotion centers(HPCs) and the community health center Ljubljana both have made remarkable efforts in minimizing the country’s mental health difficulties. 

The brilliant work of HPCs proved instrumental in minimizing the damage of mental health during the pandemic. CHC Ljubljana provided strong primary mental health support during the pandemic, while also conducting research and development to ensure similar quality care is given long-term after the pandemic’s end. 

Australia

The Australian Government expanded Medicare-subsidized telehealth service to allow Australians to access health services from home or place of care and help make it easily accessible.  The Australian government provides mental health services through public hospitals, including emergency departments, residential mental health care and community mental health care services.

 Australia has focused on improving the physical health of people living with mental illness and reducing early mortality, reducing stigma and discrimination and making safety and quality central to mental health service delivery. Mental health care services from public hospitals are free in Australia.  

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Conclusion:Top Countries With The Psychology and Mental Healthcare

The mental healthcare systems around the world have improved over the past decade. A lot of countries have made efforts in improving the mental health care systems for its citizens after the known decline in mental health of its citizens. Raising their budget for mental health care, raising awareness to make people aware that it's normal, making healthcare more accessible for its citizens are some of the majors taken by the government for its citizens. 

Most of the countries listed above also have ranked in the happiest countries in the world list of The World Happiness Report 2024, which indicates that the countries concerned about mental health and psychology of its people eventually lead toward the happiness.

Apart from the countries mentioned above, there many other developed and developing countries that are trying to establish better environment for mental health. We hope this story will be helpful to inform and inspire those working for better psychological and mental health of the world.