Mental health services in Finland

This chapter discusses the finnish mental health services and their evolution are described, as are the current population and demographics of the country. An overview of the general health of the population is also provided, followed by a description of the general health care system. Finland is a parliamentary, democratic republic with a semi-presidential system. It joined the European Union together with Sweden and Austria at the beginning of 1995. The currency in Finland is the euro and the population is 5.35 million. Finnish people generally have a high standard of education. Young people, in particular, have been rated highly in international comparisons in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment surveys. The general health status among the Finnish population has historically been relatively poor, especially in comparison with other Scandinavian countries. Until 1970, Finland was a country with a high incidence of musculoskeletal diseases, and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases was among the highest in the world.