Näin Suomi voi: The decline in mental health-related sick leaves continues to accelerate
At Terveystalo, we committed at the beginning of the year to reduce mental health-related sick leave by 5% among our current customer base during 2025. This ambitious reduction target has progressed excellently during the first half of the year, with the reduction already almost doubling the target. This excellent result has been driven by the development of mental health services for occupational health customers and close cooperation with our corporate customers.
Terveystalo’s ambitious target of a 5 percent reduction has progressed positively over the year.
– A significant factor in achieving this goal has been that elements affecting mental well-being have become development areas for our client companies. Through collaboration, we have been able to implement solutions that support mental well-being. We have also succeeded in increasing the rehabilitative role of work, replacing absences with alternative and lighter work duties. In addition, we have invested in the accessibility of low-threshold services, summarizes Terveystalo’s Chief Occupational Health Physician, Silja Komulainen.
Help and support with a low threshold
One key measure by Terveystalo in achieving the reduction target has been the improvement of the Mielen Chat service’s accessibility and customer guidance by turning it into a healthcare service.
– Mielen Chat now offers an uninterrupted care path for users in every situation. In almost half of the contacts, the issue is depression and anxiety, and in addition, about 30% of customers also mention insomnia. Many receive the help they need already in Mielen Chat, and when necessary, our professionals direct customers forward either to the Mielen Sparri service or to an occupational health professional according to the content of the occupational health agreement. Accessing treatment through chat has reduced delays and helped identify support needs at an early stage, which has in turn sped up the treatment of mental health challenges and prevented them from becoming chronic, says Komulainen.
During the spring, Mielen Chat has also been integrated into the Symptom Assessment tool. Currently, about 40% of Mielen Chat’s contacts come via the Symptom Assessment.
– If the answers given in the customer’s pre-questionnaire indicate mental challenges, Mielen Chat is recommended to them as one of the service options. Previously, these customers were first directed to an occupational health nurse or doctor, and only after that to mental health services. Thanks to the Symptom Assessment, many can now see a mental health professional faster and receive help efficiently, says Komulainen.
Terapiat etulinjaan – co-development project has provided tools for mental health care
Although the threshold for contacting Mielen Chat has been made as low as possible, some clients in occupational health are still first directed to a nurse’s appointment. In the “Terapiat etulinjaan” co-development project, launched in the Pohde wellbeing area, Terveystalo’s occupational health nurses have been trained in new, structured ways to recognize various challenging situations affecting mental health and clarified how clients can be encouraged in certain situations to take responsibility for their own well-being through self-care programs.
– The results of the pilot have been promising and have increased the competence of our own professionals, thereby also improving the service quality for our clients’ personnel. Our goal is to expand the operational model in stages to other areas during 2026, so that all our occupational health professionals and client organizations can benefit from the same effective tools, Komulainen explains the plans.
Substitute and lightened work support work ability
Arranging lightened work has proven to be an effective way to maintain functional capacity and prevent prolonged absences. The rehabilitative effect of work by modifying tasks has been recognized, and as a solution, it is often better than staying at home completely. It also enables many employees to work without absence and shortens absences, allowing for a quicker return to working life after long and complex challenges.
— The recommendation of substitute and lightened work among our professionals has increased by almost 20 percent in all diagnoses, but when it comes to mental health disorders, the change is as much as 110 percent. Internally, we have trained our professionals to better understand and assess the remaining work ability and related limitations so that work would support mental health rehabilitation. However, our own internal activity alone does not bring results; success requires activity and cooperation with organizational clients. We provide a medical assessment of the restrictions that must be considered at work, and the employer considers which tasks are possible within those restrictions, Komulainen states.
Success in supervisory work is important for the well-being of the whole team
The development of leadership and the work community has a direct impact on work well-being, productive work, and the preservation of work ability. High-quality supervisory work thus plays a significant role in the functioning of the entire organization and work community.
— Supervisors and leadership are key from the perspective of the functionality of work communities. That is why supporting their work plays an important role in promoting mental well-being. To support supervisory work, we have developed mental health workshops for them, where there is an opportunity to discuss what would be effective and suitable solutions for each individual workplace and community. Promoting mental well-being is a shared concern, Komulainen states.