From Stigma to Empowerment: Mental Health Trends for 2023
2020 marked an enormous shift not only in the healthcare industry, but in our culture as a whole. What used to be done in public spaces and with others transitioned to being done at home and in isolation – from kids listening to their teacher’s lectures to people in the workforce completing their tasks.
Discussions regarding societal changes and their impact on our daily routines have generated a polarizing response. While some are happily embracing the primarily-at-home lifestyle, others are facing significant challenges. However, one undeniable outcome is the heightened awareness surrounding mental health.
Although often overlooked, understanding mental health and its significance are key for people to adapt to sudden shifts in their lives, most of which are unpredictable and uncontrollable. To cope with these changes, knowing key mental health trends will go a long way.
Mental Health Trends at Home
As more individuals spend more time at home, it has become crucial to understand key mental health trends to effectively manage the challenges of balancing personal and professional obligations within the same space. Here are some emerging trends to keep in mind:
1. Less Stigma For Mental Health Dialogue
In a time of unprecedented mental health challenges, an uplifting trend involves families connecting in meaningful conversations about well-being. When a simple “How are you?” leads to something more substantial than the typical cursory response, it indicates a shift towards healthy communication and support for one another.
This movement is greatly needed in many households not only across the US but around the world. Considering the long-term impact of recent societal shifts, mental health conversations will likely gain more traction.
Families must approach mental health proactively by engaging in open and honest conversations. Doing so allows the opportunity to identify potential issues while creating an environment where healthy coping mechanisms can be developed when facing difficult situations.
2. More Support for Working Parents
With many workplaces and schools shifting to remote settings, the unique struggles of working parents have become more evident. Employers and employees must quickly adjust to these unforeseen circumstances – from Zoom call interruptions, structuring meetings around a child’s schooling needs at home, or sudden school closures.
Despite this heavy pressure on the shoulders of many parents in the workforce, it’s an important reminder that organization leaders must support those juggling multiple roles while they work from home. Whether it’s by making their schedule flexible or providing them access to telemental health, support for working parents will be a norm for employers and business owners.
Mental Health Trends at Work
As the conversation around mental health gains momentum, business owners are starting to recognize its benefits. Organization leaders must stay informed about the latest trends and practices that promote better mental well-being to foster a healthier workplace, such as:
1. Mental Health is Now Part of the Employee Budget
October 2021 presented a sobering portrait of mental health in the workplace – nearly one-third of adults reported symptoms associated with anxiety and depression [1]. While mental health challenges are more of a personal matter, they can also seriously affect a person’s job satisfaction, productivity, and overall organizational performance.
To ensure success for their employees – both at work and in life as a whole – organization leaders must foster an understanding culture by investing time and effort in supporting the well-being of their employees. Deloitte’s study reveals that investing in digital health apps and peer support workers is an effective way to bolster the mental well-being of employees [2].
However, businesses also need to recognize that there will be costs associated with this approach – one compelling reason why more and more organizations are now allocating budgets specifically for employee mental health initiatives.
Prioritizing employee well-being is an investment in success from a human and business standpoint. Investing in appropriate resources, apps, technology tools, mental health days off, or education programs can help keep team members healthy – physically and mentally – allowing for greater business returns in the long run.
2. More Employee Support and Inclusion
The line between professional and personal lives is becoming increasingly blurry in the current working landscape. With employees having more daily stressors at work than before, organization leaders need to take action to support their team’s mental well-being and help them achieve balanced happiness within and beyond the office.
Recently, more and more organizations are recognizing the need for work-life balance and taking steps to create a supportive environment. Employee resource groups (ERGs) or affinity groups allow team members to come together with those who share similar interests, backgrounds, and experiences.
From parents’ support circles to creative communities championing mental health awareness, these empowering initiatives provide social connection and professional development outlets while demonstrating an organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Organization leaders can cultivate a supportive work community by providing resources and creating structures for affinity groups. Doing so will promote greater engagement among team members, foster deeper connections, and create an environment that encourages lasting satisfaction with the company.
The Role of Mental Health Practices
In today’s fast-paced world, mental health is more important than ever, and leaders are taking note as they play a pivotal role in promoting it. However, knowing where to start with so many trends and practices can be a challenge – that’s where collaboration comes into play. By working with a mental health practice, organization leaders can ensure they create a healthy workplace for their team members.
Mental health professionals are the heart and soul of a mental health practice. As psychiatrists, psychologists, or therapists, they offer essential services such as counseling, therapy sessions, and invaluable mental health advice. They also guide patients on how to navigate through life’s challenges. Considering the significance of their role, these professionals are poised to be a driving force in the industry’s growth and development.
The Makings of a Successful Mental Health Practice
Despite the importance of these job roles, it’s important to note that a successful mental health practice encompasses more than just psychologists or psychiatrists. Many moving parts are at play in a typical mental health practice, requiring the expertise of diverse professionals with unique skills, experience, and credentials.
Having a diverse team to delegate responsibilities to can be a game-changer for practice leaders. It can streamline a practice’s existing processes and allow psychiatrists and psychologists to focus on providing exceptional care rather than being bogged down by administrative work. Letting supplementary team members handle mundane tasks can lead to a more effective work environment where everything is seamless.
One technological trend among mental health practices in recent years is the integration of the virtual workspace and remote workers – particularly mental health virtual assistants – who are similar to a chameleon in the sense that they can fill a wide variety of roles, including receptionist, biller, and admin assistant.
What are Mental Health Virtual Assistants
A mental health virtual assistant is a professional who supports practices remotely. They are versatile and can perform various tasks, from making and taking calls to handling billing and administrative endeavors. In most cases, practice leaders leverage a mental health virtual assistant when they need an extra hand without having another in-person staff member.
Compared to in-person staff members, mental health virtual assistants are highly efficient in more ways than one. Regarding finances, they help practice leaders save up to 70% on overhead costs and don’t require employment benefits. Furthermore, they are also very independent, giving leaders more time to focus on growing their practice.
By hiring a mental health virtual assistant, practices not only guide businesses and provide support in empowering their employees’ mental well-being, but they can also apply an industry trend and innovation that will set them apart from the competition.
Discover the ultimate mental health virtual assistant with My Mountain Mover. Our qualified team meticulously screens all our applicants, ensuring our clients receive the industry’s top 2% of VAs. Mental health practices can rely on our continuous support to make the entire experience of working with a VA as seamless as possible.
References:
[1] “Mental Health and Substance Use State Fact Sheets” kff.org
[2] “Mental health & well-being” deloitte.com