In the USA it was recently announced (13 May in Psychiatry Times) that the majority of mental health care is now firmly in the private sector and privately paid for, possibly with insurance refunds, but often without.
Is this just a factor of the shifting economic situation in the USA or is this true in other nations also? My suspicion is that this is a trend that is world-wide. Those with the money are getting the care today, but maybe also we could say, those making the most money are needing the most care, as the stress associated with professional work is taking an increasing toll on the most “successful” in industry, as we define professional success in financial and increased responsibility/accountability terms.
Even though we were all falsely led to believe that as mechanization and computer and technical advances forged forward, we would be working less and have more leisure, many of us clung to the falsehood. We are now facing the cost of that wrong belief with increasing use of psychological treatment by those who have the money to pay for it, and while there are some who go to their therapist for status in some “Hollywood” reality tv shows, many are hitting the burnout wall with increasing speed today.
Technology in Mental Health Therapy
In the USA it was reported that there are currently over 245,000 private psychological and counselling practices operating. They deliver over 113 million + paid sessions of therapy annually. These appear to be mainly private practice solo operations. I wonder whether this is true in Australia and New Zealand also. There is still skepticism on AI Chatbots, although it is softening, sitting at 45% cautious, 38% sceptical this year 2026.
The same report identified that on-line appointments are now running at 62.7% in the USA. My experience, since Covid changed the way we had to operate, is that half my sessions are run via WhatsApp or Facetime by client preference, to avoid travel hassle, or because the client lives in another city, but wants my expertise. The clients we see are searching us out with more precision to our specialties, experience and reputations.
Our challenge is to advertise with more precision and put more on-line of our written material that shows our specialty and approach. We need the people who are seeking out assistance to have the information they need to make intelligent treatment decisions.