Health services
Health and wellness
For students
Mental health services
Here is a summary of some relevant help services and opportunities. Services from Sit and NTNU are available to students in all three of our university cities. So are the national helplines and chat services. You will also find information about the municipal health services in Gjøvik, Trondheim and Ålesund.
Personal physician
Urgent treatment
Emergency: Phone 113
Mental health services for students
Sit offers a variety of courses in mastering challenges, as well as group meetings (in person and online) that can give you a better everyday life. The courses are free of charge.
Here, you will meet skilled counsellors and public health nurses with long experience who want to listen to you and offer advice when you would like this opportunity.
They have a duty of confidentiality. If they see that you need for further follow-up, they discuss this with you and help you to get in touch with people who can help.
Sit’s mental health service offers short-term talk therapy for mild psychological problems. This is a low-threshold service for students who need to talk to a neutral person. You do not need a referral from a doctor. Here, you can talk to skilled health professionals in a safe environment. Treatment is provided by psychologists, psychiatric nurses or clinical social workers.
Phone (+47) 73 53 86 30 to get an appointment that will help to provide an overview of your situation.
There may be some waiting time for an online conversation for this purpose. Here, you will be able to talk to a health professional about the issues that you want to get help with. In some cases, they will refer you to services from other professionals or organizations.
Through NTNU's welfare services, you can arrange a meeting with a student chaplain. Both if you experience something you find difficult, or if you need to vent your thoughts with someone. The service is available to all students, regardless of their beliefs. The chaplain has a duty of confidentiality, and the service is free.
Through NTNU’s services for student well-being, you can arrange a talk with the student humanist. Either if you experience something that you find difficult, or if you need to air your thoughts with someone.
The service is available to all students, regardless of their beliefs. The student humanist has a duty of confidentiality, and the service is free.
Your student adviser is your primary contact for questions regarding your studies. You can also talk to your student advisor about issues that affects your student life. Please find your student
The student ombuds is an independent, neutral and confidential support person for students at NTNU. The Student Ombudsman works to ensure that NTNU takes care of the students' rights in the academic setting.
Helplines and chat services
The student helpline (Studenttelefonen) is a free and anonymous low-threshold service for all students and pupils who need someone to talk to. They have thorough knowledge of student life, and have a duty of confidentiality.
Phone 116 123 (press key 3)
The helpline and chat services are open every day from 17:00 to 07:00 (also during weekends and holidays).
The website is in Norwegian, but you are welcome to speak English when you phone or chat.
The helpline is a free 24/7 phone service from the Mental Helse association for anyone who needs someone to talk to. You can be anonymous, Mental Helse have a duty of confidentiality.
Phone 116 123
The helpline is open round the clock, every day, all year round.
The website is in Norwegian, but you are welcome to speak English when you phone or chat.
Sidetmedord ("say it with words") is an online service from Mental Helse for anyone who prefers to write about things that are difficult in life. Write a message or chat with the staff advisers, or get in touch with others in the same situation as you through our forum and friend service.
You can send written messages at any time of the day or night on every day of the week. You will get a reply within 24 hours. The chat service is open around the clock.
The website is in Norwegian, but you are welcome to speak English when you phone or chat.
Helsenorge.no has compiled a summary of voluntary, reputable organizations that offer free support and information. Several have helplines, chat services and support groups that may be very helpful.
Helsenorge.no - overview of helplines, chat and support groups
Offers from the municipality
Mobile emergency team
The Emergency phone for life-hreatening situations number is 113 (AMK).
In addition, the St. Olavs hospital in Trondheim has regional centres for emergencies:
- Nidaros DPS - phone 73 86 54 00
- Nidelv DPS - phone 91 00 58 72
If possible, the staff would like you to contact your regular doctor (fastlege) before contacting the team.
Prompt Mental Health Care
Prompt Mental Health Care (Rask psykisk helsehjelp) is a service offering treatment for anxiety, mild depression, alcohol/drug problems or sleep problems that are starting to develop. Examples include panic attacks, depressed mood and brooding, excessive worrying, stress-related problems and difficulty sleeping.
Prompt Mental Health Care may be a good choice if:
- You do not need emergency health care
- You are not receiving other mental health care, for example from a regional psychiatric centre (DPS), and you do not have a referral for this
- You are not receiving municipal services related to mental health
If you are eligible for rapid care and would like an offer from us, please contact us by submitting the contact form. You will then get a phone call to arrange a discussion to find out whether this service matches your needs.
The waiting time for services that are not group- or course-based is up to two months.
If you are a student in Trondheim, the municipality asks you to first investigate whether the mental health services from the student welfare association Studentsamskipnaden (Sit) could be relevant for you.
Grief/Crisis
If you have recently experienced an unexpected and/or dramatic event in your life, this service may be relevant for you.
If you would like to be offered support, please use the form on this page. You will then get a phone call as soon as possible for a conversation to find out whether this service could be helpful for you.
Course in mastery techniques
Trondheim municipality also offers various courses that help you to cope with depression, burdensome situations, stress and other problems. Read more about the different courses (in Norwegian, at the end of the page)
Mental health care
Mental health care is provided to people over the age of 18, who need support, help and assistance due to mental health problems that meet one or more of these criteria:
- Impaired functioning in everyday life
- Long-term moderate or severe mental health problems
- Decline in functioning (suddenly not being able to function as usual) because of mild or short-term mental health problems that require professional help over a period of time.
- Motivation for change and a process of recovery and improvement.
You apply for mental health care by filling in the application form for health and care services.
Applications are processed continuously.
Overview of mental health services from the municipality of Ålesund. (In Norwegian)
Prompt Mental Health Care
Prompt Mental Health Care (in Norwegian) is a low-threshold service for people over the age of 16 with mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety, depression or sleep problems.
Here you can get cognitive therapy, without a long wait. The goal of the treatment is for you to cope with everyday life, feel better and experience fewer symptoms.
Prompt Mental Health Care is offered to people who do not have serious or complex mental health problems and do not already use other mental health services (such as mental health teams in the municipality, private psychologists or follow-up through specialist health services). Prompt Mental Health Care is a free service, and you do not need a referral from a doctor.
If you would like to be offered this service, please contact us by sending us a contact form.
You will then get a phone call within a week or two for a conversation to find out whether this service could be helpful for you.
The treatment is based on cognitive therapy, which requires you to participate actively, through homework and exercises among other activities. Here, you can read more about the treatment.
Emergency help
If you need emergency help, the Prompt Mental Health Care service is not for you. If you need emergency help, contact the urgent care centre (legevakten) on telephone 116 117 or your regular doctor (fastlege) during the day for an emergency appointment.
Mental health services during the day
Health professionals are available during the day in Ålesund, Brattvåg, Skodje and Sjøholt. (Norwegian only)
- Someone to talk to for mental health support
- Treatment of mild mental health conditions
- Advice / counselling
- Coordination of measures and work on an individual plan
- Help and support to users’ family members adults and children
- Collaboration with a wide range of services in and outside the municipality, such as regular doctors / the urgent treatment centre, the ordinary home care service, child welfare, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), and specialist health services through the clinic for mental health and substance use problems.
Contact can take place either from your regular doctor or from the specialist health service.
Personal physician "fastlege"
If you have moved from your hometown to study, feel free to get a personal physician in the city where you study.
There is a nominal charge for medical expenses in Norway (NOK 200–300 per visit).
Staying less than 6 months
If you are staying less than 6 months, you will not get a personal physician. However, you are still entitled to medical care. Anyone can phone the emergency services (ambulance) or an urgent treatment centre ("legevakt"), even if they are not entitled to a personal physician.
Health Centre Sit (In Norwegian)
Trondheim
For non-urgent medical help, please call to schedule an appointment at one of the following medical centers:
Øya legesenter: 72 54 38 60. Address: Prinsens gate 1A, 7013 Trondheim. Students who don’t have, or cannot get, a personal physician in Trondheim should book appointments with Øya Legesenter. They have 4-5 daily appointments reserved for this student group.
Gjøvik
Students without a personal physician can call the Casualty ward to set up an appointment: (+47) 61137000.
Staying more than 6 months
If you are staying more than 6 months you are entitled to a personal physician. You should register for a physician as soon as you have your national ID number. Do not wait until you get sick.
- Choose an available physician:
- Register for the physician by calling: 800 43 573
Compulsory health check
Citizens of some countries must be tested for tuberculosis if staying more than three months in Norway.
The test is free and must be done within four weeks after your arrival in Norway. The Office of International Relations organizes group appointments for all students required to take the test. You will be notified by email. Students who cannot take part in this appointment, must book it themselves, which may take several weeks.
Address: Vaksinasjonskontor, Erling Skakkes gt. 40, Leütenhaven entrance A/C. Phone: 72 54 08 50.
Health stations for sexual health
Any questions about your sexual health? Talk to one of our public health nurses. They’re available at different campuses during the week.
All links in Norwegian:
Pregnant and don't know what to do?
Amathea – help for pregnant women, a free health service (in Norwegian).