The Star Tribune brings us a piece earlier this week on the “boom” in psychotherapy practices, ostensibly because of the down economy:

Schoener is, again, seeing more of those things. “We’re busier than ever, and we haven’t had any recent publicity or visibility,” said Schoener, executive director of the Walk-In Counseling Center in Minneapolis. “It’s quite striking.”

He estimates that the number of clients is 20 percent higher than just three years ago. Calls are coming from stressed-out couples who can’t stop fighting, from people worried about losing their jobs, from parents whose adult children have been forced to move home. “And we haven’t seen the full bore of the housing crisis,” he said.

The article has a few data points to support its hypothesis, which doesn’t seem all that a stretch to believe that when the economy falters, mortgage defaults are skyrocketing, and more people become unemployed, there’s a lot more to be stressed out about and be more prone to things like depression.

The article notes that, sadly, it’s no easier to find affordable mental health treatment. Many insurance companies and health plans don’t offer equal benefits for mental health concerns as they do for physical health concerns. And when you try and make use of such benefits, you’ll often find a 3 month waiting list before you’re even seen by a mental health professional. The article also offers some general advice on what to do and how to seek out help.

I don’t think a “therapy boom” is necessarily a good thing, but I do have to say that if more people find it acceptable to turn to a psychotherapist to help them through rough economic times, it helps reduce the stigma of seeking out treatment for mental health concerns. Which is a good thing.

Read the full article: Unfortunately, therapists find business booming

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 27 Aug 2008
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