Lithuanians no longer hide their emotional problems: almost every third resident has visited a psychologist

“Press release

 

Lithuanians care about their emotional health and are increasingly seeking professional help, according to a study prepared with Vilnius University (VU) and commissioned by the mobile operator Tele2. Experts note that the country's residents open the doors of a psychologist's office much more often than many other Europeans.

 

Is it too late to seek help?

 

In Lithuania, almost twice as many people have tried psychological consultations as on average in European Union (EU) countries – as many as 27 percent, according to the latest study on the emotional resilience of Lithuanian society. According to Skaistė Varnienė, Head of Market Research at Tele2, people are increasingly recognizing their emotional difficulties, which, according to the study, we also experience more often.

 

“The study data reveals that in Lithuania, twice as many residents are at risk of anxiety disorders as in other Western countries. The risk of depression is also extremely high, therefore it can be assessed that psychological consultations in Lithuania are more often chosen when faced with serious emotional disorders, when the problems are already chronic or have significantly affected everyday life,” says S. Varnienė.

 

Alternative psychological assistance measures are rarely used, the study shows – only about a tenth of residents have tried online websites or mobile apps designed for self-help.

 

“On the other hand, interest in and care for one’s emotional health may be much broader than reflected in statistics. Residents often encounter various emotional health content on social networks, but they may not consciously consider this to be self-help,” adds a representative of “Tele2”.

 

She sees positive changes

 

VU Associate Professor and Doctor of Psychology Inga Truskauskaitė, who prepared the survey questionnaire and methodology, notes that emotional health topics are gradually ceasing to be taboo, and those experiencing difficulties are actually increasingly deciding to seek professional help.

 

“If there were more people experiencing emotional health difficulties in Lithuania than in other countries, but residents did not seek help from specialists, this would already be a serious signal. However, the situation is currently quite adequate. Although we have more people facing difficulties, we also see more people seeking help, so we are moving in the right direction – we are acknowledging problems and starting to solve them, rather than keeping quiet about them,” says the interviewee.

 

Specialist help is more often needed by people who have previously experienced complex personal experiences or traumatic experiences, such as childhood violence, which can increase sensitivity to other surrounding sources of anxiety.

 

“The level of anxiety has increased in many countries, and Lithuania is no exception. The threat of war and the consequences of the pandemic are affecting our emotional well-being, many of whom feel worse than before. In addition, the Lithuanian people have historically gone through many difficult periods, so we can also react more sensitively to current worrying global events,” I. Truskauskaitė considers.

 

Emotional well-being can also be affected by the use of high-risk social networks, which more than a quarter of our compatriots face. For residents, this becomes a way to escape from unresolved problems, but this creates a vicious circle – problems remain unresolved, and emotional well-being only worsens over time.

 

Tele2, together with VU, has created a free test that allows you to quickly assess your relationship with social networks and get insights and advice on how to use them safely and responsibly. You can do this here: https://soctinklaiirtu.lt/.

 

The study “Emotional Resilience of Lithuanian Society” was conducted by UAB Norstat on behalf of Tele2. The study, conducted in November–December 2025, represents the opinions of Lithuanian residents aged 18–74 who use the Internet. More than 1 thousand respondents were surveyed during the study.”