Student health service
Once you have paid your student union fee, you are entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). This means that you can visit any of their health stations and receive free or very low-cost health care. The FSHS offers general health care, oral care and mental health care for students.
The FSHS also offers the Self service, which allows you to check, cancel and book (with a doctor’s permission) appointments yourself. It is recommended that you start using the Self service as soon as you have paid your tuition fee. The FSHS also has access to OmaKanta, where all your medical history is stored, in order to ensure the best possible care for everyone.
SupportStudents
The SupportStudents are here for you! You can contact a SupportStudent if you need someone to talk to or if you feel lonely. Your matter can be about anything from studies, routines and wellness, to difficulties finding friends or anything else that feels tough.The SupportStudents can help you through their own experiences or just by being there and listening. Whatever you tell a SupportStudent is confidential, and your matter won’t be discussed with anyone else without your permission. SupportStudents are not professionals, but we can provide support and can, if needed, refer to a helping instance.
A SupportStudent is a voluntary Student Union member, who has participated in a Mental Health First Aid 2 course. They are people with different backgrounds and qualities. You can contact anyone of the SupportStudents directly (by mail, WhatsApp or in person), or by sending an email to stodhankeit@shs.fi, through which we then match you with one of the SupportStudents. Please mention SupportStudent in your message when contacting us.
Mental health
Urgent need of help
Mieli Mental Health Finland’s crisis helpline can be contacted in English by calling 09 2525 0113, on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11AM to 3PM, on Wednesdays 1PM-4PM and 5PM-9PM and on Thursdays 10AM to 3PM. You can call regardless of your gender, age or place of residence. The Finnish speaking crisis helpline is open 24/7, and the number is 09 2525 0111.
City of Helsinki’s Medical Helpline can be reached 24/7 by dialing 116 117. You can also contact your own health care station directly during business days between 8AM and 4PM. More information can be found on City of Helsinki’s webpage.
The City of Vaasa’s emergency care helpline is 06 213 1001 and open Monday-Thursday 3PM to 8AM, Friday 2PM to 8AM. The service is 24/7 on weekends. During office hours you can contact your own health care station. More information can be found on City of Vaasa’s webpage.
You can contact the Finnish Student Health Service, FSHS, if you are not feeling mentally well or worried about your alcohol or drug use. They have psychiatric nurses, psychologists and psychiatrists.
From 1.1.2021: NB! If you are an exchange student, please contact your nearest health care station instead of FSHS.
If there is an emergency, do always contact 112.
External Help
Help from Hanken: Study psychologist, study coach & student priest The Study Psychologist helps you with questions regarding study motivation, balancing your studies and free-time and performance anxiety. The Study Psychologist is a licenced and trained professional within the social- and healthcare industry. Hanken offers services of a study coach that can provide tips and tricks in study habits and time management. Hanken also has a student priest that you can speak with about everything from relations to loneliness, faith and doubts. More information can be found on Hankens website.
Help in everyday life Nyyti ry is a national Finnish non-profit organization that promotes students’ mental health. They offer chats, Nyytitalks and other services for students. More information can be found on Nyyti’s website.
HelsinkiMissio offers support for people in the age of 12 to 29. They have professionals and trained volunteers you can speak with, and also groups for friendship support. Unfortunately they only offer services in Swedish and Finnish.
Sekaisin-chat is a Finnish chat that supports mental wellbeing and helps to survive mental illness. The chat can be found here.
Nyyti ry is a national Finnish non-profit organization that promotes students’ mental health. They offer chats, Nyytitalks and other services for students. More information can be found on Nyyti’s website.
Mentalhub.fi is a nationwide web service that has been developed by social- and healthcare professionals. On Mentalhub’s pages you can find tips regarding self care among other things. The service can be used by anyone and you can search for help for yourself or someone close to you. For more information follow this link.
Substance Abuse Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship with the goal of having people struggling with addiction to alcohol to stay sober, and help with other alcohol related problems. In Finland there are AA-groups even in Swedish, but most of them are in Finnish. For more information regarding the organization in Finnish follow go here and for information in English go to https://aahelsinki.fi/foreigners/in-english/
Narcotics Anonymous är en gemenskap för personer för vilka droger blivit ett problem. För mera information och för att hitta tidpunkter för träffar, besök deras finskspråkiga hemsida (https://www.nasuomi.org/) men det finns en del information även på svenska (https://www.nasuomi.org/pa-svenska/).
Narcotics Anonymous is a fellowship for people struggling with drug problems and thus affecting their daily lives. For more information regarding their meeting schedules, refer to their website in Finnishor in English.
Addictionlink is a web service intended for substance abuse and addiction. The web service is open to anyone suffering an addiction, including families and friends of an addict. For more information follow this link.
Ehkäisevä päihdetyö EHYT ry works to encourage healthy lifestyles for the whole population. They offer e.g., intoxicant-free meetings where everybody is invited. More information about there operations can be found on their website. More information can be found in Finnish on their website: https://ehyt.fi/
Irti Huumeista ry is an association that helps people with drug addiction and their loved ones. They operate in Finnish. More information can be found on their website.
Addictionlink also provides information for those who want to quit smoking. For more information check out their webpage.
Gambling Addiction Peluuri helps people with gambling addiction. More information can be found on their website.
Violence in Relationships City of Helsinki and City of Vaasa have emergency helplines for urgent social issues. Here you can find information in Finnish of Helsinki’s helpline, and here of Vaasa’s helpline.
Victim Support Finland (RIKU) aims to improve the position of victims of crime, their loved ones and people who have witnessed criminal cases. They help through support services. Their telephone helpline number is 116 006, and is available Monday to Friday 9AM to 8PM. More information can be found on their website.
Raiskauskriisikeskus Tukinainen helps people who have been sexually assaulted and abused. They also provide help and guidance for the victim’s families. The crisis helpline number is 0800 97899 and is open Monday to Thursday 9AM to 3PM, and all other times including weekends and holidays 3PM to 9PM.
Sexuality Seta – LGBTI Rights in Finland works for an equal society and individual welfare, that includes and welcomes everyone regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation or gender expression. Seta offers support and material that can be found on their website.
