CNN
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As the demand for mental health care increases across the United States, the demand for service providers is expected to increase as well.
Job growth in mental health fields — which include psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counselors, psychiatric assistants and social workers — is expected to be three times higher than projected for typical American occupations, according to a CNN analysis of new data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Some mental health workers are projected to grow even faster, particularly mental health counselors, including substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors: These occupations are expected to grow 19%, from about 450,000 in 2023 to 534,000 by 2033, putting them in the top 20. The fastest growing Profession in the U.S. These counselors assist people seeking help with issues such as anxiety, addiction, and stress.
Marriage and family therapists are also among the mental health professions expected to see significant growth through 2033, with a 16% increase. And the BLS group’s “all other counselors,” a catch-all category that includes occupations such as sexual assault counselors and anger management or grief counselors, is also expected to grow 14% through 2033.
Why and where growth is expected
The increased demand for mental health services can be attributed to two factors: a decrease in the stigma of seeking treatment and increased uncertainty in people’s lives, said Tracy Cipriano, a clinical psychologist and clinical assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine. She told CNN that political division, economic uncertainty, gun violence and the climate crisis are factors that are putting particular pressure on Americans.
“All of these things feel threatening to some degree, but each of us has very little actual control over them,” Cipriano says. “Stress itself can be managed with mental health treatment, but if it’s not managed, it can lead to depression and anxiety.”
Over the next decade, more Americans are expected to manage stress outside of formal therapy, and holistic workers such as acupuncturists, fitness trainers and massage therapists are also expected to grow faster than general employment growth, according to a CNN analysis of BLS employment forecasts.
In particular, job growth for massage therapists is expected to grow by nearly 18% by 2033, adding about 23,000 jobs per year on average. According to a 2023 survey by the American Massage Therapy Association, more than half of clients cited relaxation or stress relief as their primary reason for receiving a massage.
The increased demand for mental health workers is one sign of a shortage amid what many are calling a health emergency: Nine in 10 adults believe the US is experiencing a mental health crisis, and young people in particular have reported worsening health during and after the pandemic.
Adults Seeking treatment These days, most people struggling with mental health issues still don’t get help.
About 122 million Americans live in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals, according to a 2021 USA Facts analysis, with rural areas of Wyoming and Utah especially vulnerable. Take the lead The highest percentage of people lack access to mental health providers.
“We have a shortage of mental health professionals,” Cipriano said, “and people can’t get the treatment they need, so it makes sense we need to hire more.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects employment projection data for over 1,100 detailed occupational groups. These group employment categories can represent multiple occupations. For example, the occupational group “Therapists, all others” can include art and music therapists as well as traveling doctors who help the blind and visually impaired navigate independently. As such, some of the group employment categories analyzed by CNN may include occupations that are not directly related to mental health services; similarly, some of the occupational groups excluded from the analysis may include mental health-related jobs.
To be as specific as possible in identifying mental health professionals, CNN limited its analysis to occupations in the following categories: psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counselors, psychiatric assistants, and social workers. The following employment categories were included (national employment codes in parentheses): substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (21-1018), all other counselors (21-1019), marriage and family therapists (21-1013), all other therapists (29-1129), mental health and substance abuse social workers (21-1023), clinical and counseling psychologists (19-3033), school psychologists (19-3034), all other psychologists (19-3039), psychiatrists (29-1223), and psychiatric assistants (31-1133).
As holistic workers, CNN included massage therapists (31-9011), exercise trainers and group fitness instructors (39-9031), nutritionists and dieticians (29-1031), acupuncturists (29-1291) and all other medical diagnostic or treatment practitioners (29-1299).
The broad scope of the BLS occupational groups limits this analysis, but its purpose is to examine high-level employment trends.
