The Nordic Psychiatric Associations (NPA) constitutes a significant body for psychiatric professionals in the Nordic region, playing an essential role in fostering collaboration and advancing mental health care.
The precursor to the NPA was first established at a congress in Copenhagen in 1907, with Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland as founding members. This initial meeting led to the formal first Nordic Psychiatric Congress in Oslo in 1910, and, to date, a total of 34 congresses have been held. These congresses have provided a framework for exchanging ideas, gaining inspiration, and sharing a commitment to advancing mental health and cross-border collaboration.
After gaining independence, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined the Nordic Psychiatric Association in 2009 and 2012, respectively.
In 1947, a common newsletter was established. From 1959 to 1991, it was known as “Nordisk Psykiatrisk Tidsskrift”, and, since 1992, the Nordic Journal of Psychiatry has been published by the NPA. The journal serves as a platform for disseminating psychiatric research across the Nordic countries.
At the latest annual meeting in September 2024, all member countries reaffirmed the importance of maintaining the NPA as an organization, reflecting a shared commitment to its continuity. The Nordic Journal of Psychiatry will continue to be a central publication of the NPA. In the future however, without subscription from individual members through their membership of NPA. The Nordic Psychiatrist will continue to be a resource for the Nordic collaboration, presenting topics of common interest across borders.
The 35th Nordic Congress of Psychiatry is scheduled to be held in Sweden in 2027, time and place will be announced soon.
Recent national reports reflected diverse priority issues across member countries:
In Norway, there is a strong focus on recruitment challenges, efforts to influence media and policymakers, and the pursuit of a ten-year mental health plan.
Iceland faces a shortage of psychiatrists, concerns over increased ADHD diagnoses, and socio-economic challenges due to inflation, migration, and recent volcanic activity.
The Finnish Psychiatric Association is concentrating on revitalizing its organizational structure and addressing challenges in mental health services, particularly the debate on primary versus specialized care for mental health disorders.
In Denmark, a ten-year plan for psychiatry is being rolled out, which will implicate investments in secondary mental health care. There will be a particular focus on better integration of psychiatric and somatic care.
In Sweden a significant proportion of psychiatric units are run privately with public funding, increasing labour market mobility and greatly hampering efforts to stabilise medical staffing.
In Lithuania a lot of events has been organised in relation to World Suicide Prevention Day, and World Mental Health Day. There are concerns regarding increasing levels of bureaucracy, lack of staff, especially child and adolescent psychiatrists, and difficulties to keep ear-marked resources assigned for psychiatry.
In Latvia there are new educational process developed in addiction psychiatry, mental health sector is experiencing critical deficit of psychiatrists. At the same time Latvia started first EU NCD JA project MENTOR September 2024 with all together involvement of 20 countries. MENTOTR is devoted to social inclusion, integrated mental health care and digital innovations.
The NPA’s future vision will focus on supporting mental health professionals amid workforce shortages, shifting societal expectations, and increasing mental health needs. The NPA has the potential to support younger generations entering psychiatry and emphasizes the importance of research, training, and shared resources across the Nordic region.
Cooperation among Nordic countries will continue to be vital for addressing shared issues, from resource allocation to reducing stigma and improving access to mental health services. The NPA has historically contributed to advancing psychiatry in the Nordic countries, and collaboration across the region will strengthen a united Nordic approach to tackling the mental health challenges of tomorrow. □