Top Trends in Mental Health: A Guide for Social Workers
As mental health professionals, social workers, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists, it is imperative that we stay informed of current trends, research, and developments impacting mental health treatment and current trends. The nature of mental health treatment and current presentation is constantly changing with cultural developments, current events, and the constantly expanding body of research related to mental health treatment and best practices in social services. Continuing education and ongoing research and education are some of the main ways that mental health professionals stay current on trends and best practices in the world of mental health treatment. Below are just a few of the current trends in mental health research and mental health practice development.
Mindfulness and Meditation Practices:
The concept of mindfulness and meditation practices is nothing new, but the popularity and application of mindfulness meditative practices in the mental health world continue to be ever-expanding. The research on mindfulness has dramatically increased in the past decade, so much so that UCLA has developed a mindful awareness research center to track research updates, provide free, mindfulness, resources, and develop programming and classes for integrating mindfulness techniques into various forms of mental health programming.
Teletherapy and Virtual Mental Health Services:
Virtual or telehealth therapy. Mental health services have grown in popularity at an exponential rate over the past few years. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many therapists remain skeptical of the effectiveness of virtual therapy services. However, researchers have shown that long-term, patients have a higher satisfaction rating for therapy services that are conducted via telehealth or virtual platforms compared to their in-person counterparts. (1)
While this is exciting news in terms of the accessibility of mental health services to individuals across the country, the need for therapists to be fully educated on the ethics of telehealth practices and ways to conduct virtual therapy effectively is imperative. Continuing education related to ethics and telehealth therapy May assist the therapist in feeling supported and competent in their professional practice on a virtual platform.
Integrative Mental Health Approaches:
Integrative approaches to mental health services have also expanded in popularity and research over the past few years. Integrative health approaches focus on the whole person and consider all of the components of a multifaceted treatment plan as opposed to addressing issues in isolation. (2)
Integrative mental healthcare continues to be a trend as more people desire to have a collaborative approach between medication management and therapy services. Mental health therapists should be highly aware of the ethics surrounding quality. Integrative care services. Continue education on the boundaries, needs, and ethical practices in multidisciplinary settings, or integrative medicine. Clinics are imperative for mental health workers, as they continue to seek to provide holistic and comprehensive care for the mental health needs of their clients.
Implications for Mental Health Workers:
As the world of mental health continues to evolve and change with research and societal changes, it is imperative, that social workers, professionals, counselors, marriage and family, therapists, and all mental health workers continue to stay informed and educated on the trends and resources available for those they serve.
With the ever-changing world of mental health practice in a constantly changing social environment, mental health therapist social workers and professional therapists must continue learning and pursuing current and applicable research to be informed and competent therapy providers. Just as society continues to change, so do the needs and trends in the mental health care needed for the communities and persons that therapists serve.
