6.11.2024
Sekasin Collective Offers Help to Youth Where They Are – Online
Sekasin Collective receives the Alfred Kordelin Prize for its widely accessible, low-threshold mental health work. The collective provides support to young people through anonymous chat services and online communities.
In 2023, 37,000 conversations took place in the Sekasin chat, which is only one-fifth of all contact attempts.

Young people in Finland are struggling more than ever. They deal with immense pressure and uncertainty about the future and economy. Societal crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine, are making the situation even worse.
At the same time, waiting lists for mental health services are long, and access to help varies between regions. Sekasin Collective, a network formed by 50 organizations and stakeholders and one of this year’s recipients of the Alfred Kordelin Prize, takes on this problem.
The collective provides young people with anonymous and free support through the Sekasin chat and the Sekasin Gaming community on Discord.
“It’s cheaper and simpler to help before problems become chronic, complex, and severe. The longer the wait, the more intensive care is required,” says Satu Raappana, Director of Youth and Child Mental Health Services at MIELI Mental Health Finland, which coordinates the Sekasin Collective.
When a young person receives help in time, they may free up a spot on that long health services waiting list and grow into a happy individual and taxpayer.
“When a young person is truly seen and their problem is still relatively manageable, one conversation may be enough. Young people learn that talking helps and share that lesson with those around them, creating a positive ripple effect. That’s why the Sekasin Collective exists.”
In 2023, the Sekasin chat received 160,000 contact attempts, resulting in 37,000 conversations. The chat is open every day of the year, from 9 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and from 3 p.m. to midnight on weekends. It is intended for young people aged from 12 to 29, and no diagnosis or referral is needed.
The Sekasin Gaming Discord server has 27,000 members, and each year, mental health discussions on the server amount to hundreds of thousands of minutes. The server’s moderation team is available on weekdays.
Impact Through Collaboration of Dozens of Organizations
The Sekasin Collective started with a campaign by public broadcaster Yle in 2016 and the Sekasin drama series, which sparked significant public discussion. It was clear that a concrete solution was needed for young people’s mental health issues.
MIELI Mental Health Finland, together with its partners, piloted a chat service for a week as part of the campaign, receiving 13,000 contact attempts. The need for the service was evident.
In January 2017, the chat opened permanently with funding from the We Foundation. Since then, it has grown into a collective of over 50 organizations and background agencies, coordinated by MIELI, the Finnish Red Cross, the Finnish Federation of Settlement Houses, and SOS Children’s Villages. The network encompasses expertise in areas such as substance abuse work, sexuality, social work, and youth work.
There are six full-time employees working within the Sekasin Collective. The heart of the collective, however, is its volunteers, with several hundred on call in the chat. Paid staff members work alongside the volunteers, ensuring that the network operates smoothly and that volunteers receive the support they need.
“A volunteer can ask a professional for advice at any time and hand over a conversation in a challenging situation. After a shift, they can debrief with a professional about any feelings that come up, so they don’t linger.”

Help Through Chat Without Sugarcoating and by Truly Listening
Most young people reaching out via Sekasin chat are between 15 and 25 years old, and year after year, the most common reason for contact is that they are feeling bad. Other common topics include relationship issues, daily life, school, work, and everyday routines. If necessary, the responder directs the young person in seeking help from the right services or files a child protection report.
About 11 percent of contacts involve suicidal thoughts. All volunteers in the collective receive training and knowledge on discussing suicidal behaviour. According to Raappana, the situation often gets better simply through conversation.
“Young people often feel that even professionals can’t handle talking about suicidal thoughts. We speak about it directly, as speaking is not dangerous nor does it increase the risk of suicide. On the contrary, the young person feels heard.”
A responder can, for example, help the young person create a safety plan to follow if suicidal thoughts worsen. If a suicide attempt is underway, the responder will call for help for the young person.
“It’s okay for them to be angry with us, too. There have been situations where we’ve called the police for assistance, who have then reached the person in time. After receiving care, the young person has reached out, apologized for their anger, and thanked us for calling for help.”
Young People Want to Be Seen, Heard, and Acknowledged
Cuts to the nonprofit sector also impact the Sekasin Collective and its supporting organizations. That’s why all donations and awards are invaluable to their work.
Currently, due to scarce resources, only one in five contact attempts to the Sekasin chat are answered. To increase the response rate, more volunteers are needed, which, in turn, requires more paid staff.
“All funds go towards hiring more people to do this work and retaining the people we currently have.”
Through its sustained efforts, the Sekasin Collective has lifted young people’s mental health challenges and well-being into societal discussion and decision-making.
The collective will continue to advocate loudly for young people, Raappana summarizes. This means, for example, giving every necessary interview about what the collective hears directly from young people on mental health issues.
This also means lobbying ministries for sufficient resources and for changes in societal structures.
The collective’s work has also gained attention abroad. There’s been interest in their model in countries such as Sweden, where Raappana has held discussions.
“We give young people too little credit for how smart they are and how well they can express themselves. Young people don’t need any magic tricks from adults. They need someone to stop, focus, listen, and believe in them. A young person wants to be heard, seen and acknowledged.”
Photos: Vilja Pursiainen.