As part of a wider project on mental health in OECD countries, a series of descriptive profiles have been prepared, intended to provide descriptive, easily comprehensible, highly informative accounts of the mental health systems of OECD countries. These profiles, entitled ‘Mental Health Analysis Profiles’ (MHAPs), will be able to inform discussion and reflection and provide an introduction to and a synthesised account of mental health in a given country. Each MHAP follows the same template, and whilst the MHAPs are stand-alone profiles, loose cross-country comparison using the MHAPs is possible and encouraged.

Mental health disorders comprise one of the highest burdens of disease in Finland. The share of disability pensions granted due to mental disorders is high and while the rates of suicide have decreased in recent years, they are still above the OECD average. Consequently, tackling mental ill health is a government priority for Finland. The mental health system has undergone a number of reforms in recent years, and several innovative initiatives have been introduced. Whilst a number of challenges remain, the evolution of the mental health system has been promising, and holds lessons for other OECD countries.