Norway seems to be offering living proof that money can't buy happiness. The country often is referred to as among the world's wealthiest, and the best place to live, but a new study indicates that 25 percent of the adult population falls mentally ill every year.

The study, conducted by the Psychiatric Institute at the University of Oslo, is based on data collected by health authorities in eastern Norway.

The amount of people seeking psychiatric treatment amounts to 25 percent of all adult Norwegians. Another 450,000 Norwegians are believed to suffer psychiatric problems, but don't bother visiting a doctor.

Anxiety and depression are the most common ailments, reported Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) on Tuesday morning.

"The health authorities and the population itself is having great difficulty comprehending the enormous amount of psychiatric problems, and the enormous need for treatment that exists," Professor Per Høglend, who led the study, told NRK.

The study results come just days after newspaper Dagens Næringsliv ran a front-page story hailing Norway as "the richest country of all time" based on its foreign trade surplus and balance of payments. Norway's oil wealth continues to fuel its economy, but it's clear that not everyone is enjoying the results.

On the same day, newspaper Dagsavisen ran a front-page story noting how local crisis telephone lines were ringing off the hook with people seeking help. "We can't manage to answer more than 50 percent of the calls," said Mette Kammen of Mental Helse.

Paradox
It's clearly a paradox, and the question is why so many Norwegians are so unhappy. There's always the old clichés about Norway's long, dark winters, but one expert suggests the threshold for identifying someone with a problem as "depressed" has been lowered, and that people are more willing to seek professional counselling.

She also cited a reluctance by many Norwegians to openly discuss relatively common problems such as grief, divorce or the loss of a job with friends or family. A high percentage of Norwegians live alone, and loneliness is a problem in itself.

"There are lots of lonely people around the country, without a social network," said Kammen. "Many just need someone to talk to."