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Mental health jobs to grow 3 times the rate of all US jobs over the next decade

Mental health jobs to grow 3 times the rate of all US jobs over the next decade
CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE LOWER 60S. MANY MOOD DISORDERS CAN BE TRACED TO A CHEMICAL IMBALANCE IN YOUR BRAIN THAT SOMETIMES CAN'T BE TREATED WITH THERAPY OR COPING STRATEGIES ALONE. MEDICATION MIGHT BE NEEDED. HERE WITH US TO DISCUSS IS WENDY ANDERS, SWEETSER'S SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES. HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU NEED MEDICATION RATHER THAN JUST THERAPY? NO SINGLE TREATMENT- WHETHER IT'S AN ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUG OR THERAPY-CAN EASE DEPRESSION OR OTHER MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS IN EVERY CASE. HOWEVER, RESEARCH SUGGESTS YOU WILL IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING RELIEF IF YOU COMBINE DRUGS AND THERAPY. DIFFERENT PEOPLE RESPOND TO VARIOUS TREATMENTS DIFFERENTLY. THEREFORE, IF ONE TREATMENT DOES NOT HELP, TRY ADDING THE OTHER. CHOOSING THE RIGHT TREATMENT OR SERVICE CAN FEEL COMPLICATED. YOUR CHOICE OF TREATMENT SHOULD BE BASED ON THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE WITH THOSE WITH SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE, AS WELL AS YOUR OWN WILLINGNESS TO TRY THESE TREATMENTS AND TO STICK WITH THEM. TRAINED PROFESSIONALS CAN HELP FIND THE ONE THAT MIGHT WORK BEST FOR WHERE YOU ARE AT IN YOUR HEALING JOURNEY. HOW DO MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS MANAGE MEDICATION AS PART OF TREATMENT? WE HAVE A PSYCHIATRIC TEAM THAT INCLUDES NURSE PRACTITIONERS THAT CAN CONDUCT AN EVALUATION TO DETERMINE IF MEDICATION IS NEEDED AND THE RIGHT COURSE OF ACTION FOR YOU. IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE SYMPTOMS, BACKGROUND, AND OTHER FACTORS AS TO PAST TREATMENT PLANS TO DETERMINE NEXT STEPS FOR CARE COORDINATION. OUR NPS USE MEDICATION MANAGEMENT TO TREAT MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS BY EVALUATING, PRESCRIBING, AND MONITORING THE USE OF MEDICATIONS. DURING MEDICATION MANAGEMENT VISITS, WE REVIEW THE BENEFITS AND SIDE EFFECTS OF A PATIENT'S MEDICATION AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED. OUR TEAM MIGHT ALSO RECOMMEND COUNSELING OR OTHER SOLUTIONS, DEPENDING ON A PATIENT'S DIAGNOSIS AND NEEDS. MANY MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS REQUIRE A COMBINATION OF MEDICATION AND THERAPY FOR SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT. WHAT ARE SOME QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT ASK SOMEONE AS YOU EVALUATE FOR MEDICATION? QUESTIONS MIGHT INCLUDE: ? ARE YOU IN CRISIS AND NEED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT? ? WHAT SYMPTOMS ARE YOU EXPERIENCING AND WHAT MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION DO YOU HAVE? ? HOW SEVERE ARE QUESTIONS YOU MEDICATION AND THERAPY FOR MEDICATION? QUESTIONS MIGHT INCLUDE: ? ARE YOU IN CRISIS AND NEED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT? ARE THERE OPENINGS FOR THOSE WHO NEED MEDICATION QUESTIONS MIGHT INCLUDE: ? ARE YOU IN CRISIS AND NEED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT? ? WHAT SYMPTOMS ARE YOU EXPERIENCING AND WHAT MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION DO YOU HAVE? ? HOW SEVERE ARE THOSE SYMPTOMS? ? HAS THERE BEEN ANY THERAPY OR MEDICATION IN THE PAST THAT WORKED WELL FOR YOU? ? ANY BAD REACTIONS TO WENDY ANDERS, SWEETSER'S SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SWEETSER'S SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES...THANK YOU FOR THES
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Mental health jobs to grow 3 times the rate of all US jobs over the next decade
As the demand for mental health care grows across the United States, so will an expected demand for service providers.Video above: How to know if medication is needed to treat a mood disorderEmployment growth in the mental health field — for psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counselors, psychiatric aides and social workers — is expected to be triple the projection for a typical U.S. job, according to a CNN analysis of new data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.A subset of mental health practitioners — specifically mental health counselors, which include substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors — is projected to grow even more rapidly. Growth for these roles is set to increase by 19%, going from about 450,000 workers in 2023 to 534,000 by 2033, making it among the top 20 fastest-growing U.S. occupations. These counselors work with people seeking help for problems such as anxiety, addictions and stress.Marriage and family therapists are other jobs within the mental health field expected to show notable growth by 2033, with jobs there expected to rise by 16%. And the BLS group "counselors, all other," a catch-all category that includes jobs such as sexual assault counselors and anger control or grief counselors, is similarly projected to grow 14% by 2033.Why and where growth is likelyTwo factors could be increasing demand for mental health services: Decreasing stigma around seeking treatment and increasing uncertainty in peoples' lives, said Traci Cipriano, a clinical psychologist and assistant clinical professor in the Yale School of Medicine. She told CNN that political divisiveness, economic uncertainty, gun violence and the climate crisis are factors putting particular pressure on Americans."All of these things feel threatening to a certain degree, but each one of us as an individual really has very little control over them," Cipriano said. "Stress itself can be managed through mental health treatment but if you don't manage it, it can lead to depression and anxiety."Over the next decade, more Americans are also expected to manage stress outside of formal therapy. CNN's analysis of BLS job projections also found that holistic workers — such as acupuncturists, fitness trainers and massage therapists — are also set to outpace typical job growth.Employment growth specifically for massage therapists is estimated to balloon by nearly 18% by 2033, adding almost 23,000 jobs annually on average. More than half of clients cited relaxation or stress relief as the primary reason for receiving a massage, according to a 2023 survey by the American Massage Therapy Association.Access among top barriers to seeking treatmentThe growing demand for mental health workers is one sign of shortages amid what many are calling a health emergency. Nine out of 10 adults said they believed that there's a mental health crisis in the United States, and young people especially reported deteriorated well-being during and after the pandemic.While more adults are seeking treatment in recent years, most struggling with their mental health still do not receive support.One reason could be the approximately 122 million Americans who live in areas where there is a scarcity of mental health professionals, according to a 2021 analysis by USA Facts. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable, with Wyoming and Utah leading for the highest proportion of people without access to mental health providers."We're experiencing a shortage of mental health professionals," said Cipriano. "People can't get in and access the treatment they need, so it makes sense there would be a need for job growth."MethodologyThe US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects employment projection data for more than 1,100 detailed occupational groups. These group employment categories can represent multiple professions. For example, the occupational group "Therapists, all other" includes art and music therapists but also peripatologists – people who support those who are visually impaired to travel independently. As such, some of the group employment categories analyzed by CNN may include professions not directly connected to mental health services and similarly, some occupational groups omitted from our analysis may include mental health-related jobs.To identify mental health professionals as specifically as possible, CNN limited its analysis to occupations in the categories of psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counselors, psychiatric aides and social workers. We included the following employment categories (national employment code in parentheses): Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (21-1018); counselors, all other (21-1019); marriage and family therapists (21-1013); therapists, all other (29-1129); mental health and substance abuse social workers (21-1023); clinical and counseling psychologists (19-3033); school psychologists (19-3034); psychologists, all other (19-3039); psychiatrists (29-1223); and psychiatric aides (31-1133).For holistic workers, CNN included massage therapists (31-9011); exercise trainers and group fitness instructors (39-9031); dietitians and nutritionists (29-1031); acupuncturists (29-1291); and healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other (29-1299).While there are limitations to this analysis because of the broad nature of the BLS's occupational groups, its purpose is to examine high-level employment trends.

As the demand for mental health care grows across the United States, so will an expected demand for service providers.

Video above: How to know if medication is needed to treat a mood disorder

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Employment growth in the mental health field — for psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counselors, psychiatric aides and social workers — is expected to be triple the projection for a typical U.S. job, according to a CNN analysis of new data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

A subset of mental health practitioners — specifically mental health counselors, which include substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors — is projected to grow even more rapidly. Growth for these roles is set to increase by 19%, going from about 450,000 workers in 2023 to 534,000 by 2033, making it among the top 20 fastest-growing U.S. occupations. These counselors work with people seeking help for problems such as anxiety, addictions and stress.

Marriage and family therapists are other jobs within the mental health field expected to show notable growth by 2033, with jobs there expected to rise by 16%. And the BLS group "counselors, all other," a catch-all category that includes jobs such as sexual assault counselors and anger control or grief counselors, is similarly projected to grow 14% by 2033.

Why and where growth is likely

Two factors could be increasing demand for mental health services: Decreasing stigma around seeking treatment and increasing uncertainty in peoples' lives, said Traci Cipriano, a clinical psychologist and assistant clinical professor in the Yale School of Medicine. She told CNN that political divisiveness, economic uncertainty, gun violence and the climate crisis are factors putting particular pressure on Americans.

"All of these things feel threatening to a certain degree, but each one of us as an individual really has very little control over them," Cipriano said. "Stress itself can be managed through mental health treatment but if you don't manage it, it can lead to depression and anxiety."

Over the next decade, more Americans are also expected to manage stress outside of formal therapy. CNN's analysis of BLS job projections also found that holistic workers — such as acupuncturists, fitness trainers and massage therapists — are also set to outpace typical job growth.

Employment growth specifically for massage therapists is estimated to balloon by nearly 18% by 2033, adding almost 23,000 jobs annually on average. More than half of clients cited relaxation or stress relief as the primary reason for receiving a massage, according to a 2023 survey by the American Massage Therapy Association.

Access among top barriers to seeking treatment

The growing demand for mental health workers is one sign of shortages amid what many are calling a health emergency. Nine out of 10 adults said they believed that there's a mental health crisis in the United States, and young people especially reported deteriorated well-being during and after the pandemic.

While more adults are seeking treatment in recent years, most struggling with their mental health still do not receive support.

One reason could be the approximately 122 million Americans who live in areas where there is a scarcity of mental health professionals, according to a 2021 analysis by USA Facts. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable, with Wyoming and Utah leading for the highest proportion of people without access to mental health providers.

"We're experiencing a shortage of mental health professionals," said Cipriano. "People can't get in and access the treatment they need, so it makes sense there would be a need for job growth."

Methodology

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects employment projection data for more than 1,100 detailed occupational groups. These group employment categories can represent multiple professions. For example, the occupational group "Therapists, all other" includes art and music therapists but also peripatologists – people who support those who are visually impaired to travel independently. As such, some of the group employment categories analyzed by CNN may include professions not directly connected to mental health services and similarly, some occupational groups omitted from our analysis may include mental health-related jobs.

To identify mental health professionals as specifically as possible, CNN limited its analysis to occupations in the categories of psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counselors, psychiatric aides and social workers. We included the following employment categories (national employment code in parentheses): Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (21-1018); counselors, all other (21-1019); marriage and family therapists (21-1013); therapists, all other (29-1129); mental health and substance abuse social workers (21-1023); clinical and counseling psychologists (19-3033); school psychologists (19-3034); psychologists, all other (19-3039); psychiatrists (29-1223); and psychiatric aides (31-1133).

For holistic workers, CNN included massage therapists (31-9011); exercise trainers and group fitness instructors (39-9031); dietitians and nutritionists (29-1031); acupuncturists (29-1291); and healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other (29-1299).

While there are limitations to this analysis because of the broad nature of the BLS's occupational groups, its purpose is to examine high-level employment trends.