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14 emerging trends

The pandemic era has changed attitudes toward science and mental health

In 2022, psychological science will play an increasingly outsize role in the debate about how to solve the world’s most intractable challenges. Human behavior is at the heart of many of the biggest issues with which we grapple: inequality, climate change, the future of work, health and well-being, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation. Psychologists have been asked not only to have a seat at the table but to take the lead on these issues and more (See the full list of emerging trends https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-emerging-trends#list).

Psychologists are being called upon to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI): Amid a nationwide reckoning on race—and a 71% increase in EDI roles at organizations over the past 5 years—psychologists are increasingly being tapped to serve as chief diversity officers and act in other similar roles. But the field is also at an inflection point, being called upon to be more introspective about its own diversity in terms of the people who choose to become psychologists, the people who are the subjects of psychological research, and the people who have access to psychological services.

Psychologists are now the most requested experts by the mainstream media. As our culture increasingly sees mental health as an important piece of overall well-being, psychologists are being called to serve in a wider array of roles, including in entertainment, sports, advocacy, and technology.

On the technology front, the delivery and data collection of psychological services is gaining increased interest from venture capitalists. Private equity firms are expected to pour billions of dollars into mental health projects this year—psychologists working on these efforts say greater investments will help bring mental health care to millions of underserved patients.

That said, the urgent need for mental health services will be a trend for years to come. That is especially true among children: Mental health–related emergency department visits have increased 24% for children between ages 5 and 11 and 31% for those ages 12 to 17 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That trend will be exacerbated by the climate crisis, the destructive effects of which will fall disproportionately on communities that are already disadvantaged by social, economic, and political oppression.

Reporters and editors for the Monitor spoke with more than 100 psychologists to compile our annual trends report, which you’ll find on the following pages. As always, we appreciate your feedback and insights—email us Monitor@APA.org

14 emerging trends

The rise of psychologists

Psychological expertise is in demand everywhere

Reworking work

Industrial and organizational psychologists are helping employers and employees navigate as COVID-19 reshapes the world of work

Open science is surging

Open science is becoming the norm in psychology—a trend spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic

Prominent issues in health care

How psychologists are working for positive change

Mental health, meet venture capital

Private equity firms are funneling unprecedented funds into mental health apps and related interventions. How will this trend affect mental health care and the field?

Kicking stigma to the curb

Celebrities publicly attending to their mental health struggles may liberate others to do the same

New frontiers in neuroscience

Recent discoveries about the biological underpinnings of human behavior are helping psychologists find new ways to improve people’s lives

Millions of women have left the workforce. Psychology can help bring them back

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed millions of women out of the workforce, but psychology can help

Children’s mental health is in crisis

As pandemic stressors continue, kids’ mental health needs to be addressed in schools

Burnout and stress are everywhere

Burnout and stress are at all-time highs across professions, and among already strained health care workers, they are exacerbated by the politicization of mask-wearing and other unrelenting stressors

Climate change intensifies

Psychologists are learning how to bolster the health of humans and the environment as the planet warms

Big data ups its reach

More and more psychologists are incorporating big data techniques into research and related business ventures.

Psychology’s influence on public health messaging is growing

Psychologists are playing increasingly vital roles in medical and public health settings

Telehealth proves its worth

Psychologists are seeing the benefits of telehealth and hoping payers continue to support it

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  • Trent Spiner