Today’s news / New plan for fast mental health aid to youth
A new easily accessible treatment option for children and young people in mental distress, is intended to prevent the distress from developing into mental illness, according to Minister for the Interior and Health, Sophie Løhde (V). (Archive photo). Photo: Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix

New plan for fast mental health aid to youth

The Danish government, along with municipal and regional bodies, has agreed to streamline access to mental distress treatments for children and young people, aiming to provide an initial consultation within 14 days of contact. If necessary, a screening talk will follow within 30 days. Municipalities are set to launch this service in 2024, with service goals effective in 2025. According to Interior and Health Minister Sophie Løhde, this initiative is designed to prevent the progression of distress into mental illness. The agreement also targets a 30% reduction in coercive measures by 2030. Despite aims to decrease such measures, 4722 cases of restraint were reported from July 2022 to June 2023—an increase from the previous year. The agreement also includes improved care pathways for psychotic disorders and allocates over 726 million DKK for 2024, with additional funding for subsequent years, derived from agreements focused on psychiatric and mental health over the next decade.