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Polaris of Enlightenment

The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Nordic Times

The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/sick-leave-due-to-mental-health-problems-on-the-rise-in-finland/

Finland

Sick leave due to mental health problems on the rise in Finland

Published September 1, 2024 – By Editorial staff
According to the researchers "the true cost of lost workdays is likely to be even higher than our estimate".
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

According to the Finnish Social Insurance Institution (Kela), six million working days were lost last year due to mental health problems. These absences cost society more than €1 billion a year.

Mental illness currently accounts for more than one in three days of sick leave paid by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) in Finland. The annual cost of lost work effort exceeds one billion euros, which is an increase of almost half a billion euros compared to ten years ago.

– The true cost of lost workdays is likely to be even higher than our estimate, Mikko Rissanen, senior specialist at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, told Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

In 2023, almost six million working days will be lost due to mental health problems, which is the equivalent of 26,000 full-time employees being absent from work for a whole year. This is an increase of two million working days compared to a decade ago.

If short periods of sickness, which are shorter than the qualifying period for sickness compensation, are also taken into account, the total number of working days lost could exceed seven million, according to Kela.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/today-utsjoki-sees-the-sun-for-the-last-time-in-two-months/

Finland

Today Utsjoki sees the sun for the last time in two months

Published yesterday 11:20 am – By Editorial staff
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Today the sun rises for the last time in a while in Finland's northernmost municipality. After that, a polar night awaits that stretches until mid-January.

At 11:35 AM on Tuesday, the sun rises above the horizon in Utsjoki for the last time this year. Just 46 minutes later, at 12:21 PM, it sets again – and stays away for 52 days.

Then begins the polar night, the period when the Earth's tilt means the sun does not rise above the horizon. The phenomenon occurs in the northernmost parts of the world and lasts for varying lengths depending on how close to the North Pole one is located.

In Utsjoki, which lies in the far north of Finland near the Norwegian border, it will be completely dark until January 16. Only then will the sun rise above the horizon again, reports Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

Shorter polar night further south

Further south in Lapland, closer to the Arctic Circle, the polar night is considerably shorter. In Sodankylä, a town in Finnish Lapland, it begins a couple of days before Christmas and lasts only four days.

South of Lapland, no polar night occurs at all, but even there the Earth's tilt is clearly noticeable. Daylight continues to decrease until December 21, when the winter darkness is at its deepest. After that, the days slowly begin to grow longer again.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/health/its-never-too-late-older-adults-can-regain-their-health/

Health

It’s never too late – older adults can regain their health

Published November 22, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Older adults can regain full health and quality of life even after serious health problems, shows a new study. Nearly one in four people over 60 with poor well-being had completely recovered after three years.

In the study, researchers from the University of Toronto examined data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a long-term study that collects data on aging in Canada. First, they examined people who had reduced health and quality of life and were 60 years or older during the years 2011–2015.

They then followed up with these participants three years later, during 2015–2018, to see how their health had changed and, above all, whether it had improved. A total of 8,332 people participated in the study.

Participants' well-being was measured through the absence of serious physical, cognitive or emotional problems as well as high self-reported physical and mental health, happiness and life satisfaction. Furthermore, researchers also examined whether participants had a healthy body weight, regular physical activity, good sleep, avoided smoking and whether they participated in social activities.

The results, which were published in PLOS One, show that nearly one in four people over 60 who reported poor well-being at the start of the study had regained optimal health and quality of life after three years. Those who already had strong psychological and emotional well-being at the beginning were more than five times more likely to regain optimal health.

— It's incredibly encouraging to see that, with the right supports and lifestyle, many older adults can reclaim full health, happiness, and independence - even after serious health challenges, says lead author Mabel Ho to Medicalxpress.

Often, studies about older adults focus on health deterioration and functional decline, but this study does the opposite – it shows that it is possible for older adults to regain good health and that it is not uncommon either.

— We want this study to reshape how society views aging. With the right environment, resources, and supports, older adults don't just survive after struggling with health or well-being issues -  they thrive, says Ho.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finland-to-allow-wolf-hunting-next-year/

Finland

Finland to allow wolf hunting next year

Published November 22, 2025 – By Editorial staff
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Finnish government presented new legislation on Thursday that will allow population management wolf hunting next year. 65 wolves are to be shot next year.

The Natural Resources Institute Finland estimated earlier this fall that there are approximately 430 wolves in Finland and that the population has increased by 46 percent in the past year. The sharp increase has prompted the government to allow hunting to reduce problems.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah justifies the decision by noting that wolves are moving increasingly closer to populated areas.

— The goal is legislation that can sustainably and long-term reduce the problems caused by wolves, she tells Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

Martin Hägglund, chairman of the game council in Southwest Finland, welcomes the proposal.

— There are too many wolves in certain parts of Finland. Therefore, we have problems that we must address, he says.

But environmental organization Nature & Environment is critical. According to executive director Jonas Heikkilä, the wolf population is not sufficiently viable for hunting. He believes the wolf population should be around 500 individuals to be classified as viable.

— Now it just feels like the government is pushing through regional politics, he says.

The legislative changes are made possible by the EU Council of Ministers' decision this summer to downgrade the wolf's protection status from strictly protected to protected. The changes are set to take effect in January 2026 after being processed by the Finnish Parliament.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/concerns-about-childrens-safety-at-finnish-daycare-centers/

Finland

Concerns about children’s safety at Finnish daycare centers

Welfare collapse

Published November 19, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A large proportion of staff at Finnish Swedish-speaking daycare centers feel that the environment is unsafe for children. Staff shortages are identified as the main issue.

In April 2025, Finnish public broadcaster Yle sent out a survey to over a thousand employees in early childhood education in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kyrkslätt, and Kauniainen. A total of 324 people responded to the survey.

The results show that six out of ten employees feel that the environment is physically or emotionally unsafe for children. Staff shortages are identified as the recurring problem. Nearly 200 people describe in their open-ended responses situations where too few adults are responsible for too many children.

— Staff have been replaced in quite a short time, in several groups. It affects the children's safety and well-being greatly, says Marika, who works at a daycare center, to Yle.

Early morning hours and late afternoons are particularly critical. Marika reports that on one occasion she was solely responsible for thirteen children under three years old. According to Finnish law, there must be at least one qualified person per maximum of four children under three years old. However, by calculating an average for the entire day, daycare centers can meet the requirement statistically.

Only one-third of all respondents believe they will still be working at the same daycare center in five years.

Jenni Tirronen, head of early childhood education in Helsinki, confirms that burnout is a major problem.

— We are naturally very concerned about the burnout. Our own staff survey shows that approximately 60 percent of our employees feel that they do not recover sufficiently after the workday, says Tirronen.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com