What Mental Helse does

Mental Helse is Norway's largest mental health membership and service organization, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Oslo. It operates a multi-channel portfolio of free, anonymous mental health services including the 24/7 crisis helpline Hjelpetelefonen 116 123 (with parent and workplace sub-lines), the online chat and forum platform sidetmedord.no, and physical youth drop-in centers under the Headspace brand located in Øvre Eiker, Vestby, Tromsø, and Sagene (Oslo). The organization also delivers evidence-based school programs Venn1 (upper secondary, since 2007; 200,000+ students reached across 12,000+ classrooms) and YAM (Youth Aware of Mental Health, ages 13-17; licensed from Karolinska Institutet and Columbia University, with SEYLE-study validation showing a 50% reduction in suicide attempts), and runs the nature-based LivsGnist program and Norway's largest mental health public awareness campaign, Verdensdagen for psykisk helse.

The underlying technology stack is modest and service-delivery oriented: an anonymous digital chat platform with content moderation and a police emergency escalation path, GDPR/CCPA-compliant website analytics via Fathom Analytics, and encrypted cloud storage for sensitive helpline data. No public APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML components are disclosed. Operations are powered by 92 paid staff (24 in central administration; 75 in 24/7 helpline/chat services at 38.8 FTEs) supported by an extensive volunteer network — including 19 volunteers at Headspace Sagene and 14 at Headspace Tromsø — and a nationwide county/local chapter structure (fylkes- og lokallag). Headline leadership consists of Generalsekretær Linda Berg-Heggelund, Landsleder Ole-Marius Minde Johnsen, and a sentralstyret (central board) of 9 members.

The business model is a non-profit funding stack rather than a commercial revenue model. All services to end users are free; the organization is financed through government grants (primarily Helsedirektoratet for Venn1 and YAM), foundation grants administered via Stiftelsen DAM (tiers from NOK 5,000 to NOK 1,500,000), municipal and regional health enterprise contracts (including Headspace co-funding), annual membership dues from 11,000+ members (split 45%/55% between county and local chapters), grassroots income (Grasrotandelen, café events, lotteries, online merchandise), and private donations from regular givers. The organization has 11,000+ members, 92 employees, and reports 320,000+ annual service contacts; no parent company and no revenue figure is publicly disclosed.

Name

Mental Helse

Legal name

Mental Helse

Website

https://mentalhelse.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mental Helse is Norway's largest mental health membership organization, operating a free 24/7 crisis helpline, anonymous chat service, youth centers (Headspace), and evidence-based school programs (Venn1, YAM), serving the general Norwegian population with 320,000+ annual contacts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI), Workplace Mental Health & EAP-Integrated Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAK), Specialized Student Support (Foster/Homeless/Migrant/McKinney-Vento) (EDAJAIAJ)

Keywords

• Mental health helpline
• Crisis support services
• Youth mental health
• Suicide prevention education
• Nonprofit counseling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Grants - Helsedirektoratet: Primary funding from the Norwegian Directorate of Health for core programs including Venn1 and YAM school programs. Grants provide operational stability for national program delivery.
2. Stiftelsen DAM Project Funding: Through Stiftelsen DAM foundation, local chapters can apply for project grants ranging from NOK 5,000-40,000 (Express), NOK 40,000-400,000 (Health), NOK 400,000-1,500,000 (Development), and Research grants. Supports local mental health initiatives.
3. Municipal/Regional Health Enterprise Contracts: Funding from municipalities and regional health enterprises (helseforetak) for local operations, Headspace centers, and community mental health programs. Includes establishment grants for new local chapters.
4. Membership Dues: Members pay annual dues. 45% goes to county chapters, 55% to local chapters, distributed retrospectively based on membership count as of December 31.
5. Grassroots Revenue Generation: Local chapters generate income through Grasrotandelen (Norwegian Gaming monopoly charity partnership), local sponsorships, café events, lotteries, and sales from online merchandise store.
6. Private Donations: Regular givers (fastgivere) provide ongoing donations. Donors receive welcome gift (shopping bag). Donations qualify for tax deductions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mental Helse is a Norwegian non-profit membership organization that operates the country's largest mental health helpline and chat service. It delivers free, anonymous 24/7 emotional support, crisis counseling, and suicide prevention services to individuals across Norway through phone, online chat, and in-person youth centers, complemented by school-based peer-support and youth awareness programs.

Product overview

Mental Helse operates a multi-channel mental health service portfolio comprising hotlines (Hjelpetelefonen 116 123, Foreldresupport, Arbeidslivstelefonen), digital chat/forum (Sidetmedord.no), youth services (Headspace centers, Venn1, YAM), nature-based community programs (LivsGnist), and national awareness campaigns (Verdensdagen for psykisk helse). The organization also maintains member services (Min side, newsletter), a student support line, an online magazine (MentaltPerspektiv), and a grant facilitation program (Stiftelsen Dam). Services are offered in Norwegian and target youth, adults, parents, and workplaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mental Helse Hjelpetelefonen 116 123: Norway's largest helpline and chat service, available 24/7 for people in distress.
• Sidetmedord.no
• Headspace
• Verdensdagen for psykisk helse

Products and services

• Hjelpetelefonen 116 123
• Sidetmedord.no
• Foreldresupport
• Arbeidslivstelefonen
• Studenttelefonen
• Ringevenn
• Headspace
• Venn1
• YAM (Youth Aware of Mental Health) Evidence-based school program that raises awareness of mental health and suicide prevention among students aged 13-17 through interactive role-play and discussion.
• Verdensdagen for psykisk helse
• LivsGnist

Quantifiable outcome

• 320,000+ annual contacts across all services, saving lives every week
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bydel Sagene (Oslo Municipality)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2025Partnership to establish Headspace Sagene youth center in Bentsebrua school. Municipality provides facilities and ongoing support. Collaboration represents new cooperation model between municipality and civil society organization for youth mental health.
• Show de VidaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2024Collaboration at Norway Cup 2024. Show de Vida (dancers, acrobats, musicians) provided airtrack activities alongside Mental Helse stand, creating safe and inclusive meeting place for youth through creativity and activity.
• Blå KorsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration to develop new teaching materials for Verdensdagen for psykisk helse 2024, based on Blå Kors' 'Kort Fortalt' animation series and discussion cards.
• Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm) and Columbia University (New York)coreTechnology or IntegrationInternational research partnership for YAM (Youth Aware of Mental Health) program development. Karolinska Institutet and Columbia University developed the evidence-based suicide prevention methodology. Mental Helse holds Norwegian rights and coordinates YAM in Norway with continuous cultural adaptation.
• Mental Health in MindcoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational YAM program owner that Mental Helse collaborates with for continuous cultural adaptation and implementation of YAM in Norway.
• Øvre Eiker MunicipalitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost municipality for Headspace Øvre Eiker center, opened June 2022. Provides local support and facilities for youth mental health drop-in services.
• Ung Arena (Vestby)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExisting youth center that transitioned to Headspace model with new 3-year agreement. Represents collaboration between volunteer center and Mental Helse for expanded youth services.
• Verdensdagen for psykisk helsecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Norway's largest mental health public awareness campaign, spanning weeks 32-42 annually around October 10th.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Blå Kors: Blå Kors is one of Norway's largest mental health and addiction NGOs, operating crisis services, treatment facilities, and the Verdensdagen for psykisk helse campaign jointly with Mental Helse. Directly comparable as a Norwegian non-profit mental health advocacy and service provider.
• Angstringen: Angstringen is a Norwegian non-profit focused specifically on anxiety disorders, providing information, peer support, and self-help resources. Comparable to Mental Helse as a Norwegian mental health advocacy and support organization targeting the general population.
• Headspace Australia: Headspace Australia is the originating organization of the Headspace youth mental health center model that Mental Helse has licensed/adapted for the Norwegian pilot. Directly comparable in service model (drop-in youth mental health centers) and target demographic (ages 12–25).
• ROSA (Norway): ROSA is a Norwegian non-profit offering support and guidance to vulnerable young people, including via chat and helpline. Comparable to Mental Helse's youth-targeted services (Headspace, Foreldresupport, Sidetmedord.no) in target demographic and channel mix.
• Mental Health in Mind: Mental Health in Mind is the international YAM (Youth Aware of Mental Health) program owner, coordinating cross-country implementation of the SEYLE-validated curriculum. Directly comparable as the strategic program partner that Mental Helse collaborates with for continuous cultural adaptation of YAM.
• Kirkens SOS: Kirkens SOS is Norway's main church-affiliated crisis helpline operator, providing 24/7 telephone crisis support. Directly comparable to Mental Helse's Hjelpetelefonen 116 123 in channel, audience, and crisis-triage function.

Emerging players

• Crisis Text Line: Crisis Text Line operates anonymous, text-based crisis support at scale, primarily across the US and UK. Comparable to Mental Helse's Sidetmedord.no anonymous chat service in technology modality (text-first anonymous support) and crisis-triage use case.

Broad incumbents

• Samaritans (UK): Samaritans operates one of the world's largest volunteer-based crisis helplines. Comparable to Mental Helse's Hjelpetelefonen 116 123 in 24/7 volunteer-driven crisis support model, though operating in the UK and at significantly larger scale.
• Røde Kors Norge (Norwegian Red Cross): The Norwegian Red Cross operates 'Kors på halsen' — a major youth-targeted chat support service — alongside broader humanitarian programs. Directly overlapping with Mental Helse on anonymous youth mental health chat and a broader portfolio of social services.

Regional players

• Stiftelsen Psykiatrisk Opplysning: Stiftelsen Psykiatrisk Opplysning is a Norwegian mental health information and advocacy foundation providing patient-oriented resources. Comparable to Mental Helse's advocacy and member-services function, particularly through MentaltPerspektiv and political engagement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mentalhelse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mental-helse

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mental Helse