Introduction
Modern psychology faces many challenges caused by world development and the emergence of new societal aspects. People’s mental health is impacted by various areas of their life that are “nourished” with the side effects of national or global events. At the same time, the psychology industry must adapt, encountering the results of these cases’ influence on the population’s mental health.
One of the biggest challenges in this area today is battling and overcoming COVID-19’s consequences. The industry faces multiple unmet needs caused by an increasing number of affected people. Self-isolation, losses of close persons, the threat of new pandemic symptoms, and social conflicts have led psychology and its professionals to new issues. The number of patients who need mental health services during and post-pandemic exceeds the number of employees, leading to unmet demand and field breakdowns.
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Psychology Industry
Although a considerable amount of time has passed since COVID-19 activity started to fall, and new means for its effect decrease have been introduced, the death rate remains high. Despite the problem’s primary negative outcome, people suffer significant mental issues and refer to professionals more frequently. Long waiting lists for psychologists have been present in medical establishments (Byrne et al., 2021).
The reason for this complication is job loss, which leads to a shortage and increases the number of patients. Statistics show that 65% of critical services have been reduced during and after the pandemic (OECD, 2021). As a result, health services struggle to meet all patients’ needs. Approximately 9% of patients in the U.S. did not receive instant help in 2020, whereas in 2019, this number was nearly 4% (OECD, 2021). Consequently, the problems of employee quantity shortening and the increase in patient demand are directly interconnected and need thoughtful solutions.
Considering the large scale of the crisis that the industry was affected by, the issue’s impact is significant. The statistics on the number of services lacking prove that new approaches to job loss relief should be applied. The number of patients who struggle to receive effective and on-time help rises. It signals the need for financial reforms at the state level and the introduction of more workplaces to satisfy the demand.
Solutions to the Issues
The world’s psychological industry is one of those that suffered the most from the consequences of the pandemic. The government, together with the employers, should address the crisis of unmet needs of patients. As the number of people seeking mental support has doubled during and after COVID-19, more workers should be involved to change the situation and avoid adverse outcomes.
First, cooperation between psychologists and care physicians must be undertaken to spread the demand. Second, the restoration of workplaces should be done through the smooth shift from remote to co-located ones. It will help to satisfy the population’s needs with higher quality.
Third, the government must provide financial aid to create psychological help centers and hire more professionals. From my side, I should take an active part in my organization’s life to promote fair working conditions and proper treatment of patients. Each step is a core aspect that the government and employers must consider to battle the crisis quickly and effectively.
Conclusion
The pandemic of COVID-19 created new challenges for the psychology industry. The instant crisis resulted in long waiting lists for psychological departments. At the same time, the unemployment rate among professionals has risen. Consequently, the number of patients has doubled, and around 65% of mental health services have been reduced. After considering the introduction of pivotal solutions, the thesis statement of the unmet demand for psychological aid is satisfied. The problem is fully revealed, and the primary means of its resolution are presented.
References
Byrne, A., Barber, R., & Lim, C.H. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – a mental health service perspective. Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry, 25(2), 270-33. Web.
OECD (2021). Tackling the mental health impact of the COVID-19 crisis: An integrated, whole-of-society response. Web.