The private market for ADHD and autism assessments and treatments in Sweden reached at least 1.57 billion SEK in 2024, driven by a 300 percent revenue increase among exclusively private providers over six years, according to a mapping report released by the Swedish Agency for Health and Care Evaluation Analysis (Vård- och omsorgsanalys).
Rapid Growth in Private Neuropsychiatric Care
Sweden’s private market for neuropsychiatric evaluations is expanding quickly, raising fundamental questions about equity and public care models. According to the mapping conducted by Vård- och omsorgsanalys, the sector generated a turnover of at least 1.57 billion SEK in 2024. Vård- och omsorgsanalys investigator Sara Korlén Schalling noted that the expansive market challenges the foundational principle that Swedish healthcare should be publicly funded and distributed according to need rather than financial capacity.
The agency identified 108 private care providers specializing in ADHD and autism diagnostics and treatments with an annual turnover exceeding one million SEK each. While roughly a quarter of these providers maintain regional contracts alongside private operations, the majority operate entirely on private financing. Exclusively private providers have tripled their turnover over a six-year period.
Marketing Tactics and Patient Decision-Making
Private clinics actively market their services across search engines and social media channels. Promotional messaging frequently highlights short wait times, operational simplicity, and digital alternatives. Investigators also documented promotional practices that include free offers, credit options, payment solutions, and sponsored social media posts where commercial intent remains unclear.
Schalling emphasized that a neuropsychiatric evaluation is a major healthcare intervention. Marketing strategies that emphasize speed and simplicity risk oversimplifying complex medical decisions and shifting patient priorities during the care-seeking process.
Data Gaps and National Statistics
The mapping uncovered significant gaps in regulatory reporting to the National Board of Health and Welfare’s patient register (Patientregistret). Private providers fail to report their data almost entirely, despite statutory reporting requirements. Consequently, national health statistics likely underestimate the actual prevalence of ADHD and autism in Sweden. These omissions also hinder public oversight and impede evaluations of care quality and equality.
The published findings represent an interim report from Vård- och omsorgsanalys. The agency plans to issue its final report in 2027, featuring a comprehensive analysis of the risks and benefits associated with private market expansion alongside formal policy recommendations.