Ep 18: The 6 Mental Health Trends: 2024 in Review

In this episode of the Personality Couch Podcast, we (licensed clinical psychologists Doc Bok and Doc Fish) explore the cultural and clinical trends of 2024, focusing on global unrest, political polarization, re-examining power dynamics, and the ongoing mental health crisis. We discuss the impact of trauma awareness and the complexities of the victim mentality, as well as state-specific mental health trends revealed through recent research. In this episode, we further explore the state of mental health in America, discussing various mental health trends across states, the impact of misinformation on mental health, and the public's outrage towards healthcare practices, as evidenced in the assassination of United Healthcare’s CEO. We delve into the role of venture capital in telehealth and the ethical implications of profit-driven healthcare. The conversation emphasizes the need for advocacy and ethical change in the mental health landscape, urging listeners to engage in positive dialogue and action.

Chapters

00:00 Cultural and Clinical Trends of 2024
03:54 Global Unrest and Political Polarization
6:55 Re-examining Power Dynamics, Trauma, and Victim Mentality
    12:22 Cosmetic Facial Scar Study
    13:32 Attitudes Towards Trauma Study
15:25 The Mental Health Crisis and Its Impacts
    16:30 State-Specific Mental Health Trends 2024
23:08 Health Insurance and Public Outrage
27:36 The Impact of Venture Capital on Telehealth
31:03 Advocacy and Ethical Change in Mental Health

Personality Couch Episodes Referenced:

• Personalities that Kill (Ep. 07): https://youtu.be/Ob7WLEX7ZvQ
• What's Trending in Our Culture and How it Affects Mental Health (Ep. 09): https://youtu.be/uJKTb9Qj8RA

References:

Global Election Results:

• https://apnews.com/article/global-elections-2024-incumbents-defeated-c80fbd4e667de86fe08aac025b333f95
• https://abcnews.go.com/538/democrats-incumbent-parties-lost-elections-world/story?id=115972068
• https://www.ft.com/content/e8ac09ea-c300-4249-af7d-109003afb893
• https://time.com/6550920/world-elections-2024/

Trauma and Our Perceptions:

• Jones and McNally Facial Scar Study (2022): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1981-28014-001
• Kleck and Strenta Study on Expectancy and Trauma (1980): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1981-28014-001

Mental Health Trends By State:

• https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america
• https://www.aol.com/mental-illness-plagues-va-n-184111928.html

Mental Health Venture Capital Companies’ Impact:

• https://www.amha-or.com/the-toxic-impact-of-venture-capital-on-psychotherapy
• https://www.reddit.com/r/therapists/comments/143v1yg/venture_capitol_funded_mental_health_companies/?rdt=44172
• https://www.chesshealthsolutions.com/2023/08/17/the-dark-side-of-venture-capital-investments-in-healthcare/