Concerns raised over psychological services availability in Iceland by Þórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir

At Alþingi, Þórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir, the chair of the Pirate Party parliamentary group, raised concerns regarding the availability of psychological services in Iceland. During a session, she directed her inquiries to Finance Minister Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, specifically questioning whether the government would implement reimbursement for psychological services before the upcoming elections.

Thórhildur highlighted that legislation enacted in 2020 was meant to enhance access to psychologists through the Icelandic Health Insurance. However, four years later, mental health issues were on the rise, exacerbated by increasing societal violence. She pointed out that the government plans to allocate 180 million ISK annually over the next two years to tackle violence and an additional 100 million ISK to improve mental health services in healthcare centers.

Despite this, she criticized the lack of substantial funding for widespread reimbursement for psychological services, which she argued could significantly benefit national mental health, particularly among young people. Thórhildur’s inquiry included whether the ruling Progressive Party, which controls both the health and finance ministries, would ensure that psychological services receive reimbursement before the next parliamentary elections.

In response, Minister Sigurður Ingi acknowledged ongoing discussions with the Health Insurance regarding reimbursement but cited a shortage of psychologists as a barrier to moving forward with these plans. He emphasized the commitment to providing financial support for psychological assistance akin to existing agreements with physical therapists and specialists.

Thórhildur deemed this response insufficient and questioned whether Sigurður would take more decisive action than his predecessor, stressing the ongoing disregard for parliamentary decisions related to mental health funding.