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DPS and mental health services for adults
Draft, translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →
DPS (district psychiatric centre) is where adults are referred for assessment and treatment of mental health conditions. How to get there, and what happens in an acute situation.
Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 22 September 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.
DPS, the district psychiatric centre, is part of the specialist health service that assesses and treats mental health conditions in adults (18 and over). Most contact with mental health services for adults starts here, not directly at a hospital.
How you get to DPS
You need a referral. It usually comes from your regular GP (fastlege), but can also come from a psychologist, the out-of-hours clinic (legevakt), a private specialist, or a hospital. If you get help from someone other than your GP first, it is still wise to keep your GP informed.
Once the referral is received, the same rights apply as elsewhere in the specialist health service: your referral must be assessed within 10 working days, and you must be told whether you have the right to necessary healthcare and, if so, a deadline for when you must receive it at the latest. Read more in Right to healthcare from hospitals and psychiatric services, including what you can do if you disagree or are refused.
What DPS can offer
According to Helsenorge, a DPS can offer you an assessment of your mental health, talking therapy individually or in groups, help in acute situations, outreach (ambulant) treatment, and in some cases inpatient stays.
Need help right now?
- Life-threatening situation: call 113.
- Out-of-hours clinic (legevakt): 116 117.
- Mental Helse's helpline: 116 123. Kirkens SOS: 22 40 00 40.
Many DPS have their own emergency teams or cooperate with the out-of-hours clinic on urgent help outside ordinary treatment hours. Ask your GP or the out-of-hours clinic if you are unsure where to turn in an emergency.
About compulsory mental health care
In some serious cases, mental health care can be given without the patient's consent. This is called compulsory mental health care, and can for example be compulsory admission, compulsory care without an inpatient stay, or compulsory observation for up to 10 days. The law sets strict conditions for when this can be used.
You keep your rights even under compulsion, including the right to be heard about daily life at the institution and about activity offers. The Control Commission (Kontrollkommisjonen) is a separate body that safeguards the patient's rights and checks that the conditions for compulsion are met. The commission can review the decision and can decide that the compulsion must end.
This is a complicated and serious area of the regulations. This guide only gives a brief overview, and does not give advice in individual cases. If you need help in a specific case about compulsion, contact the Patient and User Ombudsman (Pasient- og brukerombudet) in your county (free) or a lawyer.
Tip: Write down your symptoms and how they affect your everyday life concretely, with examples, before you talk to your GP. This makes it easier for your GP to describe the need in the referral.
Sources
- Helsenorge. Mental health services (Norwegian)
- Helsenorge. Compulsory mental health care (Norwegian)
- Helsedirektoratet. § 2-2a Right to assessment, deadline and information (Norwegian)
Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.
This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.