Depression

In 2025, 2,700 children and adolescents with depression received 44,500 contact days in outpatient care. This represents a marked decline compared with 63,000 contact days in 2021. The reduction in activity has been particularly pronounced in Nordland, St. Olav, Stavanger, and Helgeland. While Finnmark had the highest patient rate, Lovisenberg had the highest contact-day rate. Outpatient treatment for depression is provided mainly to adolescents, and more than twice as many girls as boys receive such treatment.

The variation in contact-day rates was considerable. In 2025, the rate ranged from 17 contact days per 1,000 children and adolescents in Vestfold to 100 per 1,000 in Lovisenberg, with the remaining catchment areas distributed fairly evenly across this range. Assuming a similar prevalence of depression across catchment areas, this degree of variation appears difficult to justify.

There was also clear variation between the regional health authorities, with Central Norway Regional Health Authority showing markedly lower rates than the other regions. Differences in patient rates were smaller than differences in contact-day rates.

The contact-day rate for depression increased during the COVID-19 pandemic but declined substantially between 2022 and 2025. Nationally, the rate fell from approximately 56 contact days per 1,000 children and adolescents in 2022 to 39 per 1,000 in 2025. Consequently, the national level of outpatient activity in 2025 was lower than in 2019.

Contact days for depression were defined according to the following criteria:

• Individuals with a diagnosis code beginning with F32, F33, or F92.0 in Axis 1 (all diagnostic subcodes) within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), or with a primary diagnosis coded F32, F33, or F92.0 according to ICD-10 in specialist substance use treatment, somatic care, rehabilitation services, or by private specialists with public contracts.
• Outpatient treatment was defined as contacts where the patient was admitted and discharged on the same date, irrespective of the reported level of care. Both direct and indirect contacts were included. Only one contact per patient per day was counted.

Age: 0–17 years.

Rates were adjusted for age and sex using the direct standardisation method, with the Norwegian population in 2023 as the reference population.

Helse Førde is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided. The Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR) and the Norwegian Registry for Primary Health Care (KPR) are not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on data they have supplied.