Queues for mental health services are long, and the increased need for help is also reflected in the work of the parishes. Many priests, such as the parish priest Mari Mattsson of Haaga, also respond on social media channels.
Those struggling with mental health problems turn to the church more and more often. For example, the Haaga parish in Helsinki has noticed an increased need for help.
– The employees of the parish are really well trained, but we are not professionals in long-term psychotherapy. At the moment it is confusing and terribly difficult to get to, and we are very concerned about that, says Mattsson.
There are long queues for mental health services in public medical care. According to THL, for example, treatment queues in youth psychiatry have increased more than eightfold between 2019 and 2021. Corona did not make the situation easier.
The burden on public healthcare and the rise in the cost of living brought about by high inflation and the energy crisis can also be seen in the increased demand for parish services. The 14,000-member Haaga parish still had a total of approximately 1,150 customer meetings in 2019, but in the years after that (2020–2021), the number of contacts more than doubled.
According to Mari Mattsson, it is a clearly noticeable phenomenon that the same person has had to turn to the church more and more times. The church’s crisis fund is also being applied for thousands of euros more often than before.
The loner taps his message to the priest
Finns need conversation help more than before. Russia’s attack on Ukraine has awakened old traumas.
– People come to us with big questions, even young people and schoolchildren. They ask what is the meaning of life or is there any point in anything. When the war in Ukraine started, the fear of war from their own childhood surfaced among the elderly, says priest Mari Mattsson.
Often the contacts come via social media, says Mattsson, who is also on duty on social media. For many, the threshold to approach a priest online is lower.
– Sometimes a concrete question related to faith is sent, for example asking what a passage in the Bible means. Someone can’t sleep at night and wants to change their thoughts for a while. For a lonely person, a priest can be the only friend to talk to.
Therapy for young people without an appointment
In addition to priests, the diaconate services of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland have received more contacts than before.
Diakonia workers are trained as either nurse-deacons or social worker-deacons.
– People are not only met with a focus on mental health, but also helped forward in matters that weigh on the mind, such as loneliness, financial worries and physical health, says Saarela.
In addition to financial help and discussion help, various group activities are also offered. A new walk-in therapy is also available for young people. You can walk there without an appointment.
*Have you received help from the church? You can discuss the topic until 23:00 on 10 April 2023.*