Last updated on June 15th, 2023
Every May, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month. This year, we’re two years out from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the mental health ramifications of this world-changing event still remain.
The ongoing pandemic and the deaths, economic uncertainty, and social isolation it’s caused have affected people’s mental health around the world. A US Census Bureau survey in December 2020 found that more than 42% of people reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, which is an increase from 11% the previous year.
Mental health awareness and treatment are becoming more of a priority across the healthcare industry. Behavioral health care providers, doctors, insurers, employers, and others in the industry must prioritize mental health treatment and interventions to create a happier, healthier society. If not, the consequences can be dire. Behavioral health issues can lead to overdose, suicide, or early death. Here are four ways we see mental health treatment advancing in 2022 and beyond.
4 Mental Health Trends in 2022
1. Better use of technology
How many virtual doctor appointments have you had since 2020? While virtual healthcare became extremely popular during the pandemic, we don’t see that trend dying as the world gets back to “normal.”
Technology that makes care more accessible, faster, and more tailored to the patient is here to stay. Today, about 37% of people live in mental health shortage areas, and virtual options allow these people to meet with best-in-class providers anywhere in the world without leaving their hometowns.
We’re sure you’ve seen the commercials for online therapy companies like BetterHelp, where patients can meet and chat with therapists on their phones. According to Deloitte, virtual chatbots might take this a step further and be the next big thing in behavioral health. These chatbots would be able to provide support, information, and resources to patients 24/7. For example, the Tess chatbot offers coping strategies to struggling patients and can be implemented by health plans, providers, or employers to provide more on-demand care and treatment.
Deloitte also believes that virtual reality (VR) will have a more prominent role in behavioral healthcare. With VR, healthcare providers can create virtual environments that provide patients with companionship, experiential treatment sessions, and cognitive experiences to reduce stress and anxiety.
2. Insurers will leverage more data
Insurers will play a significant role in shifting mental health practices in the future. Insurers have access to so much data about their patients and care, including information about health, social, economic, and environmental factors for individuals and populations. By analyzing and acting on this data, insurance companies can build stronger relationships with policyholders and determine the main drivers of certain behavioral health conditions. Using this data, they can set the foundation for more preventative behavioral health interventions to address various issues earlier.
Insurers can also use their data to create health plans that better serve the needs of those with behavioral health conditions. These plans could offer more support and proactive care for those who need it.
3. An increase in employee wellness programs
Employees in health facilities like hospitals and long-term care communities tend to work long hours. This may lead to unhealthy habits, like making poor nutrition choices, less physical activity, and increased stress. But employee wellness programs are a newer trend, and these programs promote good habits and encourage happier, healthier teams.
According to the CDC, today, 83% of hospitals in the US provide workplace wellness programs, compared to 46% of all employers. Some standard services that employee wellness programs offer are health screenings, health coaches, stress-management programs, and counseling to help employees stop smoking.
4. Using nutrition as medicine
Nutritional Psychiatry is a relatively new field that studies the role of nutrition in mental health treatment. It is becoming more well-known in behavioral health communities across the county. Nutritional psychiatry researchers study the connections between our gut bacteria and their effect on the brain. Because of the relationship between the gut and brain, a person’s food can affect their mood, cognition, and mental health.
Since this trending field is still relatively new, research is limited. However, one trial called the SMILES Trial looked at the role of diet in treating depression. Over 12 weeks, participants received either dietary counseling or social support, along with their current treatment for moderate to severe depression. The dietary intervention encouraged eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, oily fish, extra virgin olive oil, legumes, and raw nuts. It also allowed for moderate amounts of red meat and dairy.
At the end of the study, the participants in the dietary counseling group saw significant improvements in depression symptoms, with 32% achieving remission. These improvements remained even when scientists accounted for variables like BMI, physical activity, and smoking. Only 8% of the control group receiving social support achieved remission.
How We Work to Improve Mental Health
At Culinary Services Group, we understand the importance of mental health awareness and care. We’re dedicated to supporting the behavioral healthcare community through nutrition services and menus that support wellness.
We work with many behavioral healthcare communities to help them define how food service can best support and promote the overall wellness for those they care for. We’re seeking out ways to support our food service professionals working in mental health to give them the knowledge they need about today’s trends, purchase drivers, legislation, nutrition principles, production and service techniques, concept development, and marketing and communication strategies.
If you’re ready to improve the wellness of your residents and employees, contact us here.
