Norway (NO)
Norway is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy in Northern Europe — one of the three Scandinavian nations, occupying the western and northern portions of the Scandinavian Peninsula.
Mental Health Resources
Support, crisis lines and therapy access in Norway.
Norway's public mental health system is integrated into the healthcare system (spesialisthelsetjenesten). GP (fastlege) referral leads to DPS (Distriktspsykiatrisk senter — District Psychiatric Centre) for outpatient specialist treatment or psychiatric hospitals for more acute care. Primary care psychology is available via fastlege referral with partial public subsidy. Norway has significant challenges with waiting times for outpatient mental health treatment, but emergency psychiatric care is immediately accessible.
Crisis Lines
Mental Helse Hjelpetelefon
116 123
Languages: Norwegian; some English support available
Available: 24/7
FreeKirkens SOS
22 40 00 40
Languages: Norwegian
Available: 24/7
FreeLegevakt (Emergency Medical Service)
116 117
Languages: Norwegian; English available at most legevakt centres
Available: 24/7
Emergency (psychiatric emergency)
113 (ambulance) / 112 (general)
Languages: Norwegian and English
Available: 24/7
Kors på halsen — Røde Kors youth support (phone and online chat)
800 33 321
Languages: Norwegian
Available: Evenings (varies by season); online chat also at kors.no/korspahalsen
FreeAccessing Therapy
Through public insurance: Route: (1) Visit your fastlege (GP) and explain mental health concerns. (2) Fastlege refers to a DPS (distriktspsykiatrisk senter) for outpatient specialist care. (3) DPS assesses and begins treatment or refers to hospital psychiatry if needed. For less severe conditions: fastlege may refer directly to a subsidised psykolog (psychologist) in primary care. The co-payment for psychology through the public system is modest (refusjon via Helfo). Cognitive therapy, psychiatric nursing, and psychiatric outpatient treatment are all available via this route.
Waiting times: Waiting times for DPS (outpatient specialist psychiatry): typically 4–16 weeks for non-urgent referrals. Emergency psychiatric care: immediately available via legevakt. For children and adolescents (BUP — Barne- og ungdomspsykiatrisk poliklinikk): often 4–12 weeks. Extended waiting times are one of the main challenges of the Norwegian public mental health system.
- - Private psychologist without referral — out of pocket: NOK 800–1,600/session. Some private psychologists are partially reimbursed by Helfo with a GP referral.
- - Online therapy platforms (eMeistring programme — nav-supported cognitive therapy online)
- - Some private health insurance (helseforsikring) includes psychology sessions — check employer coverage
- - Employee Assistance Programme (EAP/bedriftshelsetjeneste) — many Norwegian employers provide free short-term counselling through occupational health services
- - NAV's own psychological support services for work-related mental health issues
- - University student welfare services (SiO, SiB, SiT) offer subsidised counselling for students
Online Therapy
Insurance covered: No / partially
Norwegian private health insurance (helseforsikring) increasingly includes digital psychology sessions. Check your employer's group policy. The eMeistring programme is completely free and available in Norwegian for anxiety and depression self-guided CBT.
Expat-Specific Challenges
- -Polar night (mørketid) and winter darkness: northern Norway has months of complete darkness. Even in Oslo, December days are very short (6–7 hours of light). Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is extremely common. Light therapy (lysbehandling) boxes are widely used and recommended.
- -Social isolation: Norwegians are initially reserved and formal social circles form slowly. New arrivals often find building friendships challenging in the first 6–12 months — especially outside international cities.
- -Language barrier: Norwegian mental health services are almost entirely in Norwegian. Finding an English-speaking psykolog in smaller cities can be difficult.
- -Identity loss: leaving your home country professional network, social circles, and cultural identity creates genuine psychological stress — even in a "successful" move.
- -Homesickness and cultural adjustment: Norway's culture (Janteloven, reservedness, structured social interaction) can feel alienating to expats from more openly social cultures.
- -Darkness and SAD: invest in a 10,000 lux daylight therapy lamp and use it for 20–30 minutes each morning from October onwards.
- -Cost of living stress: Oslo's extremely high cost of living creates financial pressure that affects mental wellbeing, especially in the first months before income stabilises.
Seeking mental health support in Norway has lower stigma than in many countries. Talking to your fastlege about mental health is encouraged and they will take it seriously. Norway's bedriftshelsetjeneste (occupational health service) — provided by most employers — is a non-judgmental first point of contact. The Rådet for psykisk helse (Mental Health Council) provides public information at psykiskhelse.no. For English-speaking psychologists in Oslo, search helsenorge.no or contact international clinics like Volvat or Aleris.