2023-04-192022/23:SoU20 · p.12SoUHealth & social services
Mental health
What's at stake: The decision concerns how actively the state should steer work on mental health, including whether the role of social media should be specifically investigated, which particularly affects young people, where mental-health problems and time spent on social media have been linked in research.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the Riksdag should take a specific initiative to investigate how social media affects mental health, or whether the ongoing national work on strategy, research and support within mental health and suicide prevention is sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that several authorities have been tasked with producing input for an upcoming national strategy on mental health and suicide prevention, that inquiries on integrated, accessible healthcare have made proposals bearing on the area, that a dedicated inquiry is examining suicide-prevention issues, and that the government has approved a research programme on mental health and tasked authorities with mapping young people's mental health and developing a national support line. On that basis, the committee does not consider that the Riksdag should take action at this time, and rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 18 (SD)
The reservation (SD) argues that the government should examine how media affect health and look into measures to handle negative effects more effectively. The signatories point out that, through advanced algorithms, social media companies can get users to spend more time on their services than intended, and that research shows a correlation between mental-health problems and time spent on social media. Although the links are not yet fully established, the signatories consider there is reason to study how social media affect health and how they could be designed to reduce this negative impact.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 18 by SD.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Abstain 0/0/21/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | Abstain 0/0/91/16 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Abstain 1/0/15/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 17/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 59/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | No 0/64/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
Broke with the party line
| MPLeila Ali Elmi (MP, Göteborgs kommun) | Yes — party line: Abstain |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:597 by Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M), 2022/23:604 by Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M), 2022/23:926 by Linda Lindberg et al. (SD) demand 2, 2022/23:1456 by Ulrika Westerlund and Marielle Lahti (both MP), 2022/23:2061 by Fredrik Lundh Sammeli et al. (S) demands 29 and 32, and 2022/23:2128 by Åsa Westlund et al. (S) demand 32.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:597 av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M), 2022/23:604 av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M), 2022/23:926 av Linda Lindberg m.fl. (SD) yrkande 2, 2022/23:1456 av Ulrika Westerlund och Marielle Lahti (båda MP), 2022/23:2061 av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S) yrkandena 29 och 32 samt 2022/23:2128 av Åsa Westlund m.fl. (S) yrkande 32.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to approximately 60 proposals in motions submitted during the general motion period 2022. The reason is partly work that is already underway in the matters that the motions address. The proposals concerned, for example, the organization of public health work and disease prevention measures, infection control, and vaccinations.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to develop a national tuberculosis crisis plan that ensures access to adequate care and mandatory health checks for risk groups. (SD) — Reservation 18
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan points out market power's grip on the internet and media as something that strategically must be broken, and states meanwhile that mental ill-health is increasing especially among young people without measures following.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan points out market power's grip on the internet and media as something that strategically must be broken, and states meanwhile that mental ill-health is increasing especially among young people without measures following. Looking into how social media and their algorithms affect health, and testing measures against the negative effects, follows from these commitments. The plan however does not address social media explicitly.
Original (Swedish)
Planen pekar ut marknadsmaktens grepp om internet och medier som något som strategiskt måste brytas, och konstaterar samtidigt att den psykiska ohälsan ökar särskilt bland unga utan att åtgärder följer. Att se över hur sociala medier och deras algoritmer påverkar hälsan, och pröva åtgärder mot de negativa effekterna, följer av dessa åtaganden. Planen behandlar dock inte sociala medier uttryckligen.
- break market power over mediadecisive»Marknadsmakten har ett starkt grepp om Internet, tv och kultur.« (party programme ↗)“Market power has a strong grip on the Internet, TV and culture.”
- growing mental ill-health requires action»Stressrelaterade sjukdomar blir allt vanligare och psykisk ohälsa ökar särskilt bland kvinnor och hos unga utan att det leder till utbyggd vård eller förändrad arbetsmiljö.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stress-related illnesses become ever more common and mental ill-health increases especially among women and young people without leading to expanded care or changed working environment.”
- young people's mental ill-health»Alltför många barn far illa idag och den psykiska ohälsan bland unga är utbredd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Too many children are suffering today and mental ill-health among young people is widespread.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan sees commercial actors' profiling of individuals and the harsh commercial exploitation of people's desire for community as a problem society has a duty to address.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan sees commercial actors' profiling of individuals and the harsh commercial exploitation of people's desire for community as a problem society has a duty to address. Reviewing how social media algorithms affect health and how services can be designed to reduce harm follows from this, as does the fact that media and IT policy should counter concentration of power. Mental health and social media are not explicitly treated.
Original (Swedish)
Planen ser kommersiella aktörers kartläggning av enskilda och den hårda kommersiella exploateringen av människors längtan efter gemenskap som ett problem samhället har skyldighet att möta. Att se över hur sociala mediers algoritmer påverkar hälsan och hur tjänsterna kan utformas för att minska skadan följer av detta, liksom av att medie- och IT-politiken ska motverka maktkoncentration. Psykisk ohälsa och sociala medier behandlas inte uttryckligen.
- protection against commercial profilingdecisive»Den personliga integriteten hotas när kommersiella och andra aktörer använder tekniken för att kartlägga den enskildes intressen och vanor.« (party programme ↗)“Personal integrity is threatened when commercial and other actors use technology to profile the individual's interests and habits.”
- criticism of commercial exploitation»Människors naturliga längtan efter gemenskap och uppskattning görs till föremål för en hård kommersiell exploatering.« (party programme ↗)“People's natural desire for community and appreciation is made the subject of harsh commercial exploitation.”
- media policy regulation»Att motverka maktkoncentration och att upprätthålla mångfald ska vara centrala delar av samhällets medie- och IT-politik.« (party programme ↗)“Countering concentration of power and maintaining diversity should be central parts of society's media and IT policy.”
- children's safe upbringing»Alla barn och ungdomar ska ha rätt till likvärdiga villkor och till en trygg uppväxt fri från droger och våld.« (party programme ↗)“All children and young people should have the right to equitable conditions and a safe upbringing free from drugs and violence.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan wants to work significantly more purposefully with health-promoting and disease-preventing efforts and increase access to care for mental health problems.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to work significantly more purposefully with health-promoting and disease-preventing efforts and increase access to care for mental health problems. It is also explicitly sceptical of commercial influence on children and young people and wants to limit the spread of advertising. Therefore, investigating how media and social media algorithms affect health, and what measures are needed, aligns with the plan's commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill arbeta betydligt mer målinriktat med hälsofrämjande och sjukdomsförebyggande insatser och öka tillgången till vård för psykisk ohälsa. Den är också uttalat skeptisk till kommersiell påverkan på barn och unga och vill begränsa reklamens utbredning. Att utreda hur medier och sociala mediers algoritmer påverkar hälsan, och vilka åtgärder som behövs, ligger därför i linje med planens åtaganden.
- care for mental health problemsdecisive»satsa på primärvården och öka tillgången till vård för psykisk ohälsa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invest in primary care and increase access to care for mental health problems.”
- limit commercial influence on children»Vi vill begränsa reklamens utbredning, särskilt bland barn och unga.« (party programme ↗)“We want to limit the spread of advertising, especially among children and young people.”
- preventive mental health»arbeta långt mer målinriktat med hälsofrämjande« (party programme ↗)“work significantly more purposefully with health-promoting”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan makes preventive work against mental ill-health in children and young people a commitment and wants more to be done to prevent stress-related mental ill-health.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan makes preventive work against mental ill-health in children and young people a commitment and wants more to be done to prevent stress-related mental ill-health. Mapping how media affects health is a knowledge base for precisely such preventive work and requires no new regulation in itself. At the same time, the party programme opposes increased internet regulation, which limits support for the review itself.
Original (Swedish)
Planen gör förebyggande arbete mot barns och ungas psykiska ohälsa till ett åtagande och vill att mer görs för att förebygga stressrelaterad psykisk ohälsa. Att kartlägga hur medier påverkar hälsan är ett kunskapsunderlag för just sådant förebyggande arbete och kräver i sig inga nya regleringar. Samtidigt motsätter sig partiprogrammet ökad reglering av internet, vilket begränsar stödet till själva översynen.
- prevent young people's mental ill-healthdecisive»Den psykiska ohälsan hos våra barn och unga är alldeles för hög och vi måste arbeta mer förebyggande och skapa enkla vägar till vården« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Mental ill-health among our children and young people is far too high and we must work more preventively and create simple pathways to care”
- prevent stress-related ill-health»Gör mer för att förebygga, motverka och rehabilitera stressrelaterad psykisk ohälsa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Do more to prevent, counter and rehabilitate stress-related mental ill-health.”
- public health pervades society»Folkhälsoperspektivet måste genomsyra hela samhället för att ge resultat.« (party programme ↗)“The public health perspective must pervade all of society to produce results.”
- no to internet regulation»Centerpartiet motsätter sig en ökad reglering av internet.« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party opposes increased internet regulation.”
flags: målkonflikt: planen motsätter sig ökad reglering av internet
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme demands that preventive health measures be based on knowledge and that mental health be a stated public health goal, with the same obvious right to care for mental as for physical illness.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme demands that preventive health measures be based on knowledge and that mental health be a stated public health goal, with the same obvious right to care for mental as for physical illness. Having social media's impact on health mapped and what measures could reduce negative effects is a knowledge initiative in that direction. The plan, however, does not address social media or algorithms, so support is inferred.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver att de förebyggande hälsoinsatserna vilar på kunskap och att psykisk hälsa ska vara ett uttalat folkhälsomål, med samma självklara rätt till vård vid psykisk som fysisk ohälsa. Att låta kartlägga hur sociala medier påverkar hälsan och vilka åtgärder som kan minska negativa effekter är en kunskapsinsats i den riktningen. Planen behandlar däremot inte sociala medier eller algoritmer, så stödet är härlett.
- knowledge-based public healthdecisive»de förebyggande hälsoinsatserna ska vila på kunskap« (party programme ↗)“preventive health measures shall be based on knowledge”
- mental health as a public health goal»vara ett uttalat folkhälsomål.« (party programme ↗)“be a stated public health goal.”
- mental illness equated»Rätten till vård och behandling är lika självklar för både fysiska och psykiska sjukdomar.« (party programme ↗)“The right to care and treatment is equally obvious for both physical and mental illnesses.”
- school health for mental health»Elevhälsan ska ha kompetens inom både fysisk och psykisk hälsa.« (party programme ↗)“School health services shall have competence in both physical and mental health.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan sees poor health linked to psychosocial factors and stress as a serious problem and places particular emphasis on children's and young people's mental ill-health.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan sees poor health linked to psychosocial factors and stress as a serious problem and places particular emphasis on children's and young people's mental ill-health. To review how social media affects health and how services can be designed lies within this commitment, reinforced by the fact that aggressive marketing methods shall be countered. The plan does not mention social media, so the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen ser ohälsa kopplad till psykosociala faktorer och stress som ett allvarligt problem och lägger särskild vikt vid barns och ungas psykiska ohälsa. Att se över hur sociala medier påverkar hälsan och hur tjänsterna kan utformas ligger inom detta åtagande, förstärkt av att aggressiva marknadsföringsmetoder ska motverkas. Planen nämner inte sociala medier, varför slutsatsen är härledd.
- young people's mental ill-healthdecisive»Särskild vikt ska läggas vid snabb och tillgänglig kompetens för barn och ungdom med psykisk ohälsa.« (party programme ↗)“Particular emphasis shall be placed on rapid and accessible expertise for children and young people with mental ill-health.”
- psychosocial ill-health is serious»stress är dock allvarliga problem som kräver insatser« (party programme ↗)“stress are however serious problems that require action”
- counter aggressive marketing»aggressiva marknadsföringsmetoder ska motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“aggressive marketing methods shall be countered.”
- strengthened child and youth health»Kraftigt stärkt elevhälsa med en sammanhållen barn- och ungdomshälsovård och föräldrastödsprogram som erbjuds alla föräldrar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Greatly strengthened student health services with an integrated child and youth health service and parental support programmes offered to all parents.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan emphasizes that few things are more important to prioritize than children's psychological wellbeing and promises a national strategy against suicide with a particular focus on children and young people.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan emphasizes that few things are more important to prioritize than children's psychological wellbeing and promises a national strategy against suicide with a particular focus on children and young people. Enabling study of how media impacts health and what measures work constitutes knowledge-building in line with this and with the programme's requirement that reforms rest on research. The plan does not, however, mention social media.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att få saker är viktigare att prioritera än barns psykiska mående och lovar en nationell strategi mot självmord med särskilt fokus på barn och unga. Att låta studera hur medier påverkar hälsan och vilka åtgärder som fungerar är kunskapsuppbyggnad i linje med detta och med programmets krav att reformer vilar på forskning. Planen nämner dock inte sociala medier.
- children's psychological health is prioritizeddecisive»Få saker är viktigare att prioritera än barns psykiska mående.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Few things are more important to prioritize than children's psychological wellbeing.”
- national suicide prevention»Ta fram en nationell strategi mot självmord, med särskilt fokus på barn och unga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Produce a national strategy against suicide, with particular focus on children and young people”
- strengthened child psychiatry»Stärka barn- och ungdomspsykiatrin så att barn och unga som mår dåligt får hjälp snabbt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen child and youth psychiatry so that children and young people who are struggling get help quickly”
flags: citat_blockerat
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan states that research is crucial to find the causes of growing mental illness and wants to establish a national research programme in this area.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that research is crucial to find the causes of growing mental illness and wants to establish a national research programme in this area. It also requires increased transparency about how platforms' algorithms affect content distribution. Examining how media and social media affect health follows from these commitments. The plan comments on the strategy and research work the committee refers to.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att forskning är avgörande för att hitta orsakerna till den växande psykiska ohälsan och vill inrätta ett nationellt forskningsprogram på området. Den kräver dessutom ökad transparens om hur plattformarnas algoritmer påverkar spridningen av innehåll. Att se över hur medier och sociala medier påverkar hälsan följer av dessa åtaganden. Planen uttalar sig om det strategi- och forskningsarbete utskottet hänvisar till.
- research into causes of illnessdecisive»Forskningen är avgörande för den fortsatta kunskapsutvecklingen inom området psykisk hälsa samt för att hitta orsakerna till den växande psykiska ohälsan i samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Research is crucial for continued knowledge development within mental health and to find the causes of growing mental illness in society.”
- national research programme»Inrätta ett nationellt forskningsprogram inom området psykisk hälsa« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Establish a national research programme within mental health”
- algorithm scrutiny»Transparensen kring hur algoritmer påverkar spridningseffekten utifrån innehåll ska öka och ska inte kunna vara avhängigt subjektiva värderiktningar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Transparency about how algorithms affect distribution effect based on content should increase and should not be dependent on subjective values.”
- young people's mental health»Stärka insatserna för att förbättra ungas psykiska hälsa« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen efforts to improve young people's mental health”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:SoU20)
- Committee report full text (HA01SoU20)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:110 — Åtgärder mot hälsofarliga kosttillskott av Saila Quicklund (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1141 — En tillgänglig sjukvård i världsklass av Linda Lindberg m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1359 — Avgiftsfritt TBE-vaccin för barn av Joakim Sandell m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1399 — Att minska den antimikrobiella resistensen nationellt och internationellt av Marie-Louise Hänel Sandström m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1456 — Händelseanalyser vid suicidförsök av Ulrika Westerlund och Marielle Lahti (båda MP)
- Motion 2022/23:1530 — Hälsosamtal från 40 år för alla av Cecilia Engström (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1657 — Nationellt program för förbättrad hälsa hos unga av Anders Ådahl (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1851 — Vaccination mot TBE av Sten Bergheden (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1882 — En starkare liberal demokrati av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:2061 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2075 — Helhetsbedömning av hur barn och unga påverkas av pornografi och sexualbrott av Ann-Sofie Alm och Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (båda M)
- Motion 2022/23:2128 — En jämlik kunskapsskola utan vinstjakt av Åsa Westlund m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2171 — Lands- och glesbygd med stark samhällsutveckling av Elin Söderberg m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:2221 — Utredning av anmälnings- eller tillståndsplikt för kyltornsanläggningar av Eric Palmqvist (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:2277 — Jämställdhetspolitik av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:255 — Ohälsosamma livsmedels påverkan på folkhälsan av Angelica Lundberg (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:312 — Vaccinationsfrågor av Markus Wiechel (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:315 — Internationellt kris- och hälsosamarbete av Markus Wiechel (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:318 — Avveckla Folkhälsomyndigheten av Markus Wiechel (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:495 — TBE-vaccin av Mathias Tegnér (S)
Source: The Swedish Parliament