Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva

One in three women born in Finland in 1997 had received mental health-related sickness allowance, disability pension or rehabilitative psychotherapy by age 28, according to an analysis by Kela. The corresponding share among men was 15.3 per cent, compared with 33.9 per cent among women.

The findings cover more than 57,000 people and track their use of the selected benefits and psychotherapy from age 16 until the end of 2025.

A doctor measures a patient's blood pressure at the Kallio health centre in Helsinki. Photo: Vilja Vehkaoja / Lehtikuva

Patients in Finland waited longer to access treatment in primary healthcare during 2025, while waiting lists for specialised healthcare continued to fall, according to new figures released by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

The latest data points to a widening gap between the two parts of the healthcare system. While hospitals reduced long-term backlogs and treated more patients within recommended timeframes, access to doctors in local health centres became more difficult.

A young boy at home playing on a gaming controller. Photo: Lehtikuva

The number of ADHD diagnoses among children and teenagers in Finland continued to increase last year, with the sharpest growth recorded among teenage girls, according to new figures from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

Data published by THL on Monday showed that ADHD diagnoses rose across all age groups between 2015 and 2024 with no sign that the trend is slowing.

Boys still account for most diagnoses.

Photo: Prathyusha Mettupalle

Finland recorded more than 80 cases of legionella pneumonia in 2025, the highest annual total on record, with authorities linking many infections to contact with soil and compost products.

Health officials said about half of those infected reported handling soil before falling ill, including changing potting soil or emptying compost.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and the Finnish Food Authority issued a warning on risks tied to dry soil and compost products after the rise in cases.

Photo: ICPonline

Finland is entering its influenza season weeks ahead of schedule, with the number of confirmed cases rising and a new virus subtype spreading across the country.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) announced on Tuesday that the flu season had begun unusually early this year. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a recommendation for immediate vaccination, especially for those at high risk of severe illness.

“Protection from the vaccine takes about two weeks to develop. Risk groups should not wait,” said Hanna Nohynek, chief physician at THL.

Vaccine recommendation returns for risk groups, though COVID situation remains calm. Photo: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva

Free influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations will begin in Helsinki at the end of September, the city’s health department announced on Monday.

Vaccinations are available by appointment only and are targeted at groups identified in the national recommendation by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

The COVID-19 vaccine eligibility has changed from last year. Fewer people now qualify for a booster.

An adult is ill at home in Helsinki. Photo: Emmi Korhonen / Lehtikuva

Autumn cold season has officially started in Finland, with viruses spreading more actively as temperatures drop. Influenza season typically follows later in the year, but cases of common colds are already rising across the country.

“Tens of different viruses are circulating all the time,” said Dr Emilia Lagus, a general practitioner at Terveystalo. “Healthy adults get several colds per year, and for children under three, it’s still normal to be sick up to eight times a year.”

Photo: ICPonline

Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) will begin administering a preventive antibody treatment for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to newborns and infants under 12 months starting 4 September.

The antibody, nirsevimab, will be offered free of charge to all newborns in HUS maternity hospitals and to high-risk infants treated at the New Children’s Hospital, Jorvi Hospital, and Hyvinkää Hospital.

RSV is the most common cause of respiratory infections leading to hospitalisation in babies.

A nurse in the children's recovery room at Turku University Hospital (Tyks). Bariatric surgery for children and adolescents is starting in Finland. Photo: Laura Ukkonen / Str / Lehtikuva

Turku University Hospital will begin performing bariatric surgery on minors this autumn, becoming the first hospital in Finland to offer the treatment to children and adolescents with severe obesity.

The procedure, which alters the digestive system to support weight loss, has previously been reserved for adults in Finland. In neighbouring Sweden, such operations have been performed on young people for more than a decade.

Photo: ICPonline

Healthcare services across Finland are under mounting pressure from a surge in use of the synthetic stimulant alpha-PVP, known on the streets as "peukku".

Hospitals, psychiatric wards, and drug support centres are reporting growing numbers of patients suffering from severe side effects linked to the drug, including psychosis, cardiovascular problems, and violent behaviour.