World Mental Health Day Norway 2026
Trust is resilience. #everyactioncounts
This year’s campaign is a call to strengthen the trust between us. In times marked by fear, division, and uncertainty, trust is one of the strongest forms of resilience we have.
Our trust is being tested
Many things feel more unsettled than they used to. The noise is louder. The divisions deeper. And the answers are more complicated.
Uncertainty can make us more suspicious — of one another, and of the world around us. When our trust is broken or abused, it leaves a mark. It is human to become more guarded.
But when distrust begins to take root, it affects us all.
We become less generous.
More quick to judge.
Important conversations move behind closed doors, and the sense of community that holds us together, starts to weaken.
In times of unrest, trust is one of our strongest collective forces.
We need to be able to trust on
One in three people do not believe that we, as a society, are mentally prepared to face a crisis (Opinion 2025). That is worth paying attention to.
As human beings, we need to feel that the people around us wish us well.
It makes us breathe a little easier.
We dare to be honest.
And we are not afraid to ask for help — and offer it in return.
But trust also gives us courage in another way.
The courage to speak up.
To ask difficult questions.
To disagree.
To be different.
When trust exists between us, differences are not threats. Disagreement does not have to pull us apart. Instead, it is part of a strong and healthy community.
Trust is shaped by the world around us
How we are met at school, at work, online, and in our neighbourhoods mean more than we can imagine.
If we feel free to speak honestly, challenge each other, and still belong. If we can trust that what we are told is truthful and fair. When we feel seen, heard, and respected, it is easier to meet others in the same way.
Norway is one of the countries in the world with the highest levels of trust — both in institutions and in one another. But that trust is under pressure.
The 2026 Citizen Survey (in Norwegian) shows that our trust in each other has declined over the past five years. Young people under the age of 24 report lower levels of trust than the rest of the population. That should concern all of us.
Because trust is never something we can take for granted. It must be protected, rebuilt, and practised — together.
This year, we ask for your effort
To be someone others can trust. Not only in words, but through actions.
To stay consistent.
To meet disagreement with curiosity.
To be transparent about decisions.
To keep promises.
To admit when you are wrong.
Trust is built in moments that may seem small.
When we admit to not knowing, instead of pretending that we do.
When we refuse to let degrading comments pass in silence.
When we stand by what we have said and done.
Day by day, action by action, we shape the kind of society we live in.
At work.
In classrooms.
In our communities.
Trust is resilience. And every action counts.
World Mental Health Day Norway
- Every year on October 10, World Mental Health Day brings people together across the globe. The objective is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to encourage efforts in support of mental health.
- In Norway, the day is marked with a wide-spread national campaign that engages the entire country for a collective effort towards mental health.
- The campaign runs annually from week 39 to 42 and features activities from schools, workplaces, organisations, and local communities across the country.
- The Norwegian NGO, Mental Helse, coordinates the campaign which is funded by the Norwegian Directorate of Health.