Kela researcher on mental health gender gap: "the system reaches young women better"
Nearly 16 percent of women born in 1997 have received rehabilitative psychotherapy in their lives, compared to just 3.6 percent of men.
A recent Kela study reveals that Finland's mental health system better serves young women compared to young men. According to the data, by their 28th birthday, 33.9 percent of women had received rehabilitative psychotherapy or sickness allowance, whereas only 15.3 percent of men had accessed these services. The gender gap was most prominent in rehabilitation psychotherapy, with 15.9 percent of women receiving it versus just 3.6 percent of men.
Kela's chief researcher, Miika Vuori, suggests that the system may not be reaching young men adequately. Boys are referred to rehabilitation services earlier in life, particularly between the ages of 6-10. Furthermore, primary school-aged boys are prescribed ADHD medication more frequently than girls. Research indicates that psychological symptoms in girls and young women become more common during adolescence, and rehabilitation psychotherapy is only available to those aged 16 and above.
This suggests the system reaches young women more effectively. Vuori also notes that access to mental health services is linked to socioeconomic status, as those facing financial difficulties may have fewer opportunities to seek help. Moreover, diagnoses and treatment for ADHD have increased among young girls over the past five years.
Historically, ADHD was scarcely recognized in girls born in 1997, but the rate among girls aged 13-17 years old has risen significantly in recent years. Public health care has seen a significant increase in young people seeking mental health care. Vuori confirms that mental health problems and neurodevelopmental syndromes are particularly common in childhood and adolescence, impacting academic and work performance.
While Kela's data reveals the percentage of an age group born in Finland accessing mental health benefits or rehabilitation psychotherapy between adolescence and early adulthood, the reasons behind gender differences are not yet fully understood. Vuori emphasizes that such disparities hint at potential issues within the system or healthcare that may be contributing to these differences. Future Kela research will investigate these matters further.
Written by urgent.news from Yle News Finland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
