One in Three Finnish Women Born in 1997 Received Mental Health Benefits by Age 28

Kela examined every individual born in Finland in 1997 who was alive when the study began, counting roughly 28,000 women and 29,000 men. The analysis recorded receipt of sickness allowance for mental health reasons, rehabilitative psychotherapy, or any form of disability pension from age 16 through the end of 2025. Results show that 33.9% of women and 15.3% of men had obtained at least one of these benefits or psychotherapy by their 28th birthday.

The gender disparity was especially notable in the use of rehabilitative psychotherapy among women. Miika Vuori, Kela's head of research, said the findings raise questions about why such a large gap exists. The agency believes this is the first study to quantify benefit usage for a single Finnish birth cohort across adolescence and early adulthood.