Of all of the countries in the world, Luxembourg is among the richest. Luxembourg has one of the highest GDP per capita, after Liechtenstein and Monaco in the top spot. Additionally, according to almost every ranking system, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Luxembourg has one of the best health care systems in the world. Based on this, it would be correct to assume that Luxembourg’s mental health levels are high regarding its citizens and their wellbeing.

Mental Health and Happiness

According to the World Happiness Report, which conducts an extensive study into the mental well-being of people all across the globe, Luxembourg consistently ranks in the top 10 in average life evaluation and ranked 9th in 2023. Furthermore, according to the same report, Luxembourg ranks 9th again when it comes to happiness equality across the wealth spectrum. This is undoubtedly correlated with the numerous mental health resources available to the citizens, enabling them to properly care for and maintain a high level of mental health in Luxembourg.

Even though Luxembourg has a fantastic health care system in place, in a 2017 Eurostat report, 9.5% of the population reported experiencing chronic depression, which is above the 6.7% average of the group as a whole. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this, during which 37% of people between the ages of 18 and 44 reported declining mental health during the pandemic.

Therapy Access

In Luxembourg, the public health care system covers the cost of a therapist for anyone who is under the age of 18 and part of the social security system. The doctors can also prescribe therapy for up to 27 sessions. As for anyone older than 18, health care system reimburses for 70% of the total price. Finding a psychiatrist should be no issue, as Luxembourg has more than 20 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, which ranks it 8th in the EU.

Resources Available to Citizens

When it comes to governmental spending on health care, Luxembourg spends $6,436 per capita, which makes up about 5.8% of its total GDP and is the lowest in the European Union. Luxembourg primarily follows the WHO when it comes to procedures regarding mental health and has enacted many changes to destigmatize using the many mental health resources available to the people.

In conclusion, Luxembourg should be a guidebook for the rest of the world when it comes to mental health resources and how to address this issue. Its incredible health care system, the destigmatization of getting help, the large pool of mental health care professionals available and the ability for anyone to get the help they need have resulted in Luxembourg being one of the world leaders in combating mental health issues.

– Steven Gulkowitz
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