Copenhagen and Mental Health

Abstract

Denmark has about five million inhabitants and, together with Norway and Sweden, constitutes Scandinavia. Among the characteristic political features of the country are that it has a century-old democratic tradition, a one-chamber parliamentary system, and a tradition of coalition governments. The country is a monarchy, and has been for more than a thousand years. It has a state Lutheran church; but despite the fact that most citizens belong to that church, it plays a minor role in their daily life. Denmark's legislation and tax system stress solidarity and equal rights. This is to a large extent due to the fact that the social-democratic party was part of a majority of governments in the twentieth century. A large public sector and a welldeveloped social system provide almost all services and social benefits its citizens need, and there is little tradition of private charity. Educational institutions, health-care facilities, and social services are almost exclusively public and available free of charge. Copenhagen is the Danish capital and its largest city. It was founded in the eleventh century and became the Danish capital in the mid-fifteenth century. Its position as a port contributed largely to its central commercial role. The population in the fifteenth century was estimated to be 4,000-5,000; by the year 1800, it had increased to about 100,000. With industrialization and increasing commercial importance, the population quadrupled in the nineteenth century and reached its peak in 1950, with around 750,000. Subsequently, the population of the municipality of Copenhagen has gradually decreased to approximately 475,000 inhabitants.