Why Mental Health Jobs Ain't as Bad as it Used to Be

Mental health affects every aspect of our lives. It includes our emotional, social and psychological wellbeing. The bottom line is that your mental health decides how you think, perceive, feel and act in your environment. Mental health has a direct relation to workplace productivity and satisfaction from one's life. It is extremely vital at every stage of life, from childhood to adulthood. Ergo, taking care of one's mental health becomes very crucial.

Those who suffer from mental illness not only risk themselves in dangerous situations but can harm others as well, affecting family members, co-workers and friends which lead to destructive behavior patterns. A therapist can make a drastic difference for those suffering from illness and improve their lives and for people around them as well. The job of a therapist can be that of a counselor, rehabilitation officer, researcher or psychologist. The main objective of this profession is that of a caregiver and assisting people to help them lead a socially satisfactory life.

Even after acknowledging how important mental well-being is, the world is facing a mental health crisis. This is the result of a lack of awareness and the stigma surrounding mental health problems. The consequence of this is an increase in cases of suicide, depression and stress among people. Now, finally, nations all around the world have come to realize the pandemic like effect mental illness has caused due to the lack of sensitivity shown by most of us regarding this subject. Therefore, mental health jobs such as Counseling Psychologist, Clinical Social Worker, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatrist and Mental Health Counselor have finally gained the importance they deserve.

The past year has devastated most of our daily lives due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of us are forced into lockdown due to which our mental health and wellbeing has suffered even more one way or the other. The sheer number of people developing problems like depression, anxiety, burnouts and stress disorders has increased at an alarming rate. The Centre of Mental Health in England has predicted that at least 10 million people or a fifth of the population will need mental health support because of the elicit effects of this pandemic. All this makes mental health professionals more important than ever before.

Another reason why mental health professionals are so vital in today's time is the shortage of these professionals even in developed nations like the United States Of America. It has been estimated that the entire mental health force in the USA comprises 7000 professionals, while the actual requirement is that of 55,000 professionals. These numbers are astounding and a clear indicator of how much deficiency the world is facing in terms of mental health workers.

The World Health Organization has reported that 20% of minors go through some type of mental health problem during childhood and adolescent years. This makes mental health professionals responsible for taking care of the upcoming youth of a nation which intern becomes a pressing concern when the mental health system of major nations all around the globe seem to be overburdened and under-staffed.

Therefore, mental health jobs become the need of the hour and their significance has changed in the past decade. Major cities have job vacancies all year around when it comes to mental health professionals. It takes a psychiatrist 12 years to get a license and become a professional practitioner therapist. A proper education, volunteer and internship experience is all a part of becoming a practitioner therapist. Mental health jobs in London are increasing daily due to all these factors.
Pursuing a career in the mental health industry turns out to be rewarding in multiple ways. It makes you a caregiver and more compassionate and empathetic towards others. To be able to properly care for diagnosed patients one must have proper listening and verbal skills, critical thinking, interpersonal and decision-making skills. These soft skills are equally essential as a good education in this field.

The increasing awareness about mental health has given mental health jobs the importance they deserve and has changed the face of this profession a lot within the last decade or so. That is why a career in mental health has excellent job output and is expected to grow at least by 23% which is faster than any other occupation till 2050.