A Danish family must wait almost two years for their youngest child to be assessed for ADHD or autism. The long waiting lists in North Jutland highlight how serious delays in child and youth psychiatry continue to affect families across Denmark.
Years of Waiting Take a Toll
In North Jutland, children face some of the longest waiting times in Denmark’s mental health care. For Anne Sandholm’s family, it means 655 days between the date they received an invitation for an initial assessment and the date when the appointment is actually scheduled. That is nearly two years of waiting before their youngest son can even begin an evaluation.
The family suspects the boy has ADHD or autism, but they do not yet have a diagnosis. They know the signs well, since their two older children are already affected by similar challenges.
Surprisingly, this is not the first time they have dealt with such delays. Their middle child is currently in the middle of an evaluation process, and the oldest waited years before finally receiving an ADHD diagnosis and proper medication. Once treatment began, his life improved quickly, and that has made the parents even more frustrated with the system holding back their younger sons.
Private Assessments Come at a Cost
Because of the long queues, many parents turn to private clinics. The Sandholm family has done so before. Their oldest child was assessed privately, and their middle son is currently going through the same route.
Still, Anne and her husband are reluctant to do it again. A private assessment costs about 35,000 Danish kroner, which the family could technically afford. But they believe it is unfair to bypass others in line when not every family has that option. Since they already pay taxes for public health care, they see it as a matter of principle to wait for their rightful place in the public system.
Families like theirs are facing the same frustration across the country. In fact, ongoing severe delays have been documented throughout Denmark, with many children waiting more than a year before treatment begins.
Frustration with Political Priorities
Anne Sandholm does not blame the medical professionals. In her view, they do their best with what little resources they have. Instead, she points to the politicians and regional leaders responsible for managing psychiatric budgets. She argues that they have failed to make children’s mental health a true priority.
With local and regional elections approaching, she and her husband see this issue as the single most important one when deciding how to vote. For them, action matters more than promises. Reducing waiting times must be more than a campaign topic; it must become a reality.
Official Response from the Region
The Region of North Jutland currently holds the national record for the longest wait in children’s psychiatry. On average, it takes 248 days before a child can attend an initial assessment meeting.
Vibeke Gamst from the Conservative Party, who chairs the region’s psychiatry committee, admits that the current situation is unacceptable. She says that the region is doing everything possible to reduce the waiting lists. The main problem, according to her, is not funding but a shortage of specialists.
To ease the pressure, the region has purchased additional diagnostic services from private hospitals, such as Hejmdal, which provide support to the public system. Still, with so many families in need, these steps only go so far.
Even though regional leaders have voiced their determination to fix the problem, many families remain unconvinced. They have heard the same promises for years while watching waiting times get even longer.
Growing Divide Between Families
Because of that, there is a growing divide between those who can pay for private assessments and those who cannot. For many families, the choice is between spending thousands of kroner or watching their children struggle without support. The inequality in access to timely mental health care is becoming more visible with each passing month.
In the end, the Sandholm family’s story is just one among many. Their experience highlights what has become an ongoing national issue: children in Denmark are waiting far too long to get the help they need. Without major changes, those long waiting lists will continue to shape young lives for years to come.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Severe Delays Plague Youth Mental Health Services in Denmark
DR: Valdemar og familien må vente næsten to år på udredning
