There are 125 mental health nurses working in Estonia. This is not enough. More are needed. 230 nurses are registered, but only 125 are working.
Mental health nurses play an important role. They spend more time with patients than doctors. There should be twice as many nurses as psychiatrists.
There are 313 psychiatrists working in Estonia. Since 2022, 700 students have been studying nursing each year. It takes five years to become a mental health nurse.
The Estonian Nurses' Union wants more study places. There should be at least 120 places per year. The state is planning a new agreement that will add study places.
Training a mental health nurse is cheaper and faster than training a psychiatrist. Nurses could do more work, such as being the first assessors of patients.
A study showed that 30% of Estonian adults experienced serious mental health problems in the past year. Among young people, 40% experienced stress, anxiety, or depression. The waiting time for a psychologist can be up to six months.