All the best to you, mental health and good mood

The end of the COVID-19 pandemic has not led to a noticeable decrease in the number of nervous and mental disorders. The director of the Pan American Health Organization, Jarbas Barboza, has already urged government officials to make the fight for mental health a priority in world politics. Many scientists hope that recent technological advances such as artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots and virtual reality will help to cope with depression, increased stress and anxiety. Along with the growing popularity of related applications and services, there is an increasing demand for technical specialists in collecting and processing information about the mental state of patients.

And you will be cured and I will be cured

“We must remember that maintaining mental health is not only a personal struggle, but also the task of public health authorities. This crisis is already so great that it requires an immediate search for solutions,”— stated in early summer, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) head of the Mental Health Commission and former Vice President of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell Barr.

PAHO director Jarbas Barboza stressed that the pandemic has dealt a blow to the mental health of the people of the Americas. He urged governments to address this problem more actively, as it also had a significant impact on investment, increased costs for new psychiatric hospitals, training of medical staff and other mental health professionals.

According to the EC, mental health problems affect a total of 84 million EU citizens, costing the European economy €600 billion annually, or 4% of EU GDP.

In June, the European Commission (EC) announced €1.3 billion in funding for mental health programs and initiatives (.pdf).

As part of European mental health initiatives, the authorities plan to organize programs with the participation of invited specialists in organizations, companies and enterprises, expand psychological assistance services for all those in need, especially those suffering from depression and suicidal ideation, fund the training of specialists in the field of psychiatry and psychotherapy, and so on. Further.

Artificial intelligence will help natural

The rapid development of the artificial intelligence industry, including modern chatbots, significantly stimulates not only the market internet searchbut also the technology market for mental health. If in 2022 the global market for applications in this area evaluated at $5.2 billion, then in 2032 it will increase to $26.4 billion, with an average annual growth of 17.7%.

The most popular among such applications, of which there are already several thousand, are those that help to cope with depression and increased anxiety, their share is 26%.

The fastest growing segment in the coming years will be stress management and management applications.

The development of AI allows developers of applications and chatbots to equip them with the functions of recognizing signs of emotional instability in speech, increased stress or depression, and to offer options for solving dead-end situations, from the point of view of those in need of help, in life situations.

Voice chatbots can communicate with those who are depressed from a lack of communication at any time of the day or night, and the psychotherapeutic impact algorithms embedded in them can cheer up a person, increase self-confidence, distract from obsessive experiences and simply console. Investors note the growing consumer demand for such applications.

Developers of one of the most popular mental health chatbots in the US, Woebothave already raised $123 million since its launch in 2017. $100 million of them were received after 2021.

“We see that AI has a huge potential in the psychological support of people,” notes Mark Angless, Director of Mental Health Innovation at Data Insights, an international research company. — AI is also used to develop speech simulators that are used in the training of volunteers participating in various psychological assistance programs. Such techniques helped launch the first free text-based confidential chatbot in the UK in 2019. Shout to help those in need of psychological support.

Another technology stimulating the development of this sector of the Hi-Tech industry is virtual reality. A VR therapy program was launched in the UK last year gameChange.

It allows people with phobias, psychosis, or increased nervousness to simulate using a virtual reality helmet situations that cause stress in real life: traveling in a crowded transport, flying in an airplane, communicating with random passers-by or guests, visiting the graves of relatives, etc. Virtual Therapist helps the patient to successfully pass the test, giving advice and tips, and the game form – to reduce stress when performing tasks.

Another growing trend in mental health is the market for so-called mental wellness. This includes, for example, the services of counseling psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, group psychotherapy sessions, outpatient medical supervision services, recreational and restorative psychotherapy, etc. The global size of this market in 2022 made up $148.4 billion, and by the end of 2023 it could grow to $160 billion. In the period from 2024 to 2027, the average growth could be 7.7%, as a result of which the global market volume will increase to $215.8 billion.

cuckoo nest

American specialists report a significant increase in the shortage of professional psychologists and psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, nurses, orderlies, and technical personnel of specialized institutions. By data The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), before the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, 11% of adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression. During the pandemic, this share rose to 40%. But even after the end of the pandemic, the situation remains difficult – 33% of respondents still report such symptoms. According to AAMC forecasts, in the next few years, the shortage of personnel may reach up to 31 thousand people. “We are experiencing a chronic shortage of psychiatrists, and the shortage will only increase,” says Saul Levin, medical director of the American Psychiatric Association. “Many cannot get proper care and services. It affects their lives, their ability to work, to be in society.”

The shortage of physicians who require lengthy and sometimes expensive training in specialized medical schools has led to the emergence of specialists who do not require years of complex training, but who significantly help doctors.

“Technical specialists in the field of mental health” (mental health technician, MHT), performs the functions at the junction of a qualified psychiatrist and a regular orderly. They do not just monitor the physical condition of the patient, but are in psychological contact with him, talking and identifying certain changes in the condition, collect, systematize this data and then transfer it to the attending physician.

An MHT certification requires at least a high school diploma, courses lasting at least six months, and an internship in a specialized medical institution. Even more preferred an option is a bachelor’s degree in social work, courses and internships. In addition to acting as an intermediary between the patient and the attending physician in the hospital, such a specialist can monitor the patient’s condition after discharge or during outpatient treatment – also conducting conversations, analyzing the patient’s condition, collecting and systematizing data for their transfer to doctors.

There are currently about 52,000 certified MHTs in the US, with 103,000 job openings.

Expectedthat in the next five years the demand for such specialists in the country will grow by an average of 12% per year.

Evgeniy Khvostik