Reach for Change, The Inner Foundation, and the Tim Bergling Foundation joined forces to shine a light on youth mental health in the Nordics. Their goal: to create real, lasting change through the initiative Next in Mind. To build meaningful solutions, they needed a deep, evidence-based understanding of young people’s lived experiences, needs, and barriers to seeking help. That’s where Perspetivo came in.
Perspetivo conducted the first large-scale, quantitative and representative study among young adults aged 18–29 in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. The research explored the current state of mental health, access to support, and perceptions of stigma and quality of care. Each country sample was designed to be nationally representative, achieving a 95% confidence level with a 4% margin of error.
Key Insights
70% of young adults have experienced mental health issues.
1 in 2 avoid seeking help, often due to stigma.
Among those who do reach out, 65% feel the support they receive is inadequate or that they are not taken seriously.
These findings gave Reach for Change and their partners a unique, data-driven understanding of young people’s realities. With this knowledge, they could identify the most significant barriers to mental well-being and develop targeted, effective interventions.
Impact
The Next in Mind initiative is now built on the voices of young people themselves, not assumptions. With Perspetivo’s data as a foundation, the partners are creating solutions that meet real needs and drive measurable impact.
Together, we’re helping build a more sustainable and mentally healthy future for young people across the Nordics.
"To enable change, the right factual basis is needed. When we began working on Next in Mind, we knew we needed a partner who could deliver not just data - but perspective. Perspetivo was able to do what no one else could: gather quantitative insights that truly reflect what it means to be a young adult in the Nordics today. Their methodology provided us with a factual basis strong enough to build both trust and systemic change upon."
Annika Sten Pärson
Co-founder & Partner
