The Top 5 Developments in Mental Health for 2021

It is impossible to summarize the 2020 year in one word and the reason is the constant changes in many areas of our lives. The instability does not only stem from the pandemic but also from rising tension in society and politics. Covid-19 shone the light on an issue overlooked for too long: stress levels have continued creeping up over the last years and the most vulnerable have experienced increased levels of anxiety. How we respond to that challenge will have ripple effects for generations.

Mental Health Will Start to Be on Par with Physical Health

The statistics were alarming before the pandemic. Depression and anxiety already cost USD1trillion a year in lost productivity as early as 2019. The 2020 data continues to show the depth of the crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 41% of Americans reported stress, anxiety, and other disorders because of Covid-19. Many reasons account for the loss in productivity and the high level of anxiety: the stigma around mental health, the shortage of therapists and a lack of accessibility to mental health services in general.

With Covid-19 exposing the weaknesses and gaps in our healthcare systems, families and employers are willing to discuss the topic of mental health and contribute to lessening the burden. This year we will see more people tending to their mental health and finally putting into action the central tenet of the mind-body connection: they can only achieve wellness if both mind and body are healthy.

Hypnotherapy is Gaining Increased Recognition

Traditional health systems have disappointed many globally. The opioid crisis has eroded the trust in big pharma; healing services were out of reach for many and an increasing number of people have turned to alternative therapies. Actually, some of these perceived ‘alternative’ therapies are turning to be not so alternative. A growing number of medical establishments are using hypnosis and hypnotherapy in operating theatres around the world and there is a growing interest for the safe, natural, and non-invasive method that is hypnosis.  In addition, celebrities have also shared how hypnosis helped them get rid of bad habits, reduce stress or achieve peak performance.

There are still many misconceptions about hypnotherapy.  But with the growing mental health challenges ahead and the benefits that hypnosis can bring, we foresee an increasing adoption of this superefficient therapy.

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Digital Delivery is Becoming the Norm

The prolonged lockdowns and reduced mobility have transformed our habits. People are adopting new ways of using services. Digitization allows them to access essential services from home.

This trend is here to stay.

Only a few months ago, many were willing to commute for many hours in a day. Now, a growing number of people mull the possibility of working from home indefinitely. The convenience of accessing an online mental health service is a real advantage. You do not need to wait for a therapist to be available at a convenient time for you. You do not need to waste time travelling and then staying in a waiting room. You can access on-demand online hypnotherapy sessions through a self-hypnosis app. There are also financial advantages to using digital mental health apps. For a fraction of a cost of a therapist, you can access an effective tool immediately. Younger generations who have embraced the full digitization of services and have a lower disposable income will drive the adoption of mental health and wellness apps.

Employees’ Mental Health will Become a Real Item on the Business Agenda

Governing boards and senior executives have a lot on their plate: from disruption, digitalization to supply chain risks and cybersecurity dangers, they had to adapt in almost an instant. They started changing the way they engage with their employees, allowing themselves to express their vulnerability at times. Their employees’ mental health took more prominence this year and led to concrete changes in the way they do business.

Health plans used to include services related to physical health: surgery, physician’s visits… Little was included for mental health. More companies are now demanding that insurance companies upgrade their plans and include options catered to mental health and wellness.

Many companies offer mental health apps to their employees in order to help them enhance their self-care routine, build resilience and accelerate their personal development. Employers will start incorporating workplace wellness hypnotherapy in their programs.

Schools will Become Serious about Mental Health

Covid-19 and a grimmer economic outlook have affected the 18-to-24-year-olds in a dramatic way. According to the same CDC report, about 75% of them struggle with mental health issues. This age group has more difficulty coping in this crisis because they are more vulnerable. Some of them still carry student debt and face a battered economy and they have not had time to develop resilience.

The emphasis on mental health is already trickling down to lower age groups. In many places in the world, exams such as the GCSE or A-level, determine a large portion of young adult futures. The ever-changing schedule of cancelled exams and the possible adoption of new algorithms to make up for the cancellations have exacerbated the stress of academic performance. Younger students have not been spared. About a third of 13-to-17-year-olds reported deteriorated mental health in 2020 according to the Stress in America 2020 survey.

Some schools have already included in their curriculum a resilience course. But there is much more to be done. Skills are taught through repetition. Wellness can only be achieved through the repetition of beneficial habits built into a self-care routine.

Conclusion

Mental health has come front and centre of many conversations in homes, in schools and at work. As people start taking care of their mental health as much as they do about their physical health, they are turning to new methods such as hypnotherapy and are increasingly valuing accessibility.

UpNow’s mission is to make the world a healthier and happier place. We strive to offer the best hypnosis downloads and increase access to mental health and personal development tools.