Psychosocial services are available from 8am to 14pm.

At the Suðurnes Health Institution (HSS), three teams provide psychosocial services:

• Child and Youth Prevention and Treatment Team

• Mental Health Team

• Adult Psychiatry Team

These teams operate according to the government’s mental health policy and action plan. Services are provided to clients of HSS and cover all Suðurnes region.

The Child and Youth Prevention and Treatment Team

Serves children and adolescents under 18 who fall outside the scope of school psychology services in Suðurnes.
The focus is on treatment for mild to moderate depression, anxiety, and trauma.
Parents of children with behavioral issues may be offered 1 to 3 advisory sessions. These sessions aim to assess the situation, provide general guidance, and refer to appropriate services if the child’s difficulties are complex or long-term.

Mental health team

The Mental Health Team serves individuals aged 18 and older, focusing on psychological therapy for depression, anxiety, and trauma where the difficulties are mild to moderate in severity. The team offers both individual and group therapy.

The Mental Health Team also provides services for parents of children aged 0–1 year who are experiencing emotional difficulties. Emphasis is placed on strengthening the bond between parent and child.

The psychological services of the Mental Health Team are not intended as a long-term treatment option for severe mental health problems. If an assessment indicates that a person’s difficulties are severe or complex, the referral will be directed to a more appropriate service.

The team does not conduct assessments for ADHD, autism, intelligence testing, or developmental evaluations.

Specialist mental health team

The Mental Health Team is a secondary care service for individuals aged 18 and older with mental health issues. The team works with a multidisciplinary approach, and the service is intended to be temporary.

How to book an appointment?

A referral must be submitted by a professional in healthcare or social services, including a description of the issue and a suspected mental health diagnosis. Referrals from healthcare professionals must be submitted through the medical record system. It is important that referrals are properly completed to be considered. Incomplete referrals will be rejected.

For more information, inquiries can be sent to: gedheilsuteymi@hss.is

• Referrals are reviewed in weekly team meetings.

• Waiting times for treatment may range from a few months up to 10 to 11 months.

• Staff aim to respond quickly and invite applicants for an assessment interview within two weeks of receiving the referral.

During the assessment, appropriate support options during the waiting period are discussed, both within and outside the institution.

Important notes:

• These services are not long-term solutions for severe mental health issues.

• The teams do not handle emergency cases.

• They do not work with social issues, substance abuse, intellectual disabilities, or other conditions requiring specialized services.

• The teams do not perform diagnoses for ADHD, autism, IQ testing, or developmental assessments.

If emergency mental health services are needed

contact the Emergency Psychiatric Department at Landspítali:

Outpatient Emergency Psychiatric Services: Phone: 543 4050
Open weekdays 12pm to 7pm, weekends and holidays 1pm to 5pm

On-call Psychiatrist at Landspítali: Phone: 543- 000