sweden s public health policy under the medical services act aims to provide health care on an equal footing to all regardless of age gender the ability to take initiative education capacity to pay nationality or cultural differences overall minority groups are wellserved in sweden both officially listed national minorities as well as other minority groups present in the country however there is nonetheless evidence of generally reduced mental health levels amongst swedish minority groups which indicates the need for culturally adapted outreach efforts there is also evidence that such groups are more frequently prescribed hypnotic and sedative drugs than the majority population which points to a general difference in the way their treatment is approached language barriers may play a large part in explaining this treatment gap