Various Professionals Deem Therapy Unnecessary in Numerous Mental Emergencies
In numerous psychological issues, researchers from NRW believe there's no necessity for therapy, despite doctors prescribing it. This stems from the scarcity of treatment facilities, leading them to suggest valuable advice instead. This conclusion was drawn by a scientific publication by scholars from the University of Duisburg-Essen, as per the university's announcement. It appears that numerous psychotherapies cater to issues that, upon closer inspection, aren't real disorders.
The scarcity of psychotherapy spots has encouraged these experts to advocate for immediate action. They've noticed a diagnostic culture among therapists and an expanding societal perception of psychological troubles that may result in brief crises being mislabeled as psychological disorders. The most prevalent diagnosis within psychotherapies is referred to as the 'adjustment disorder', which is a significant reaction to a previous or current life event.
"Every second married person will encounter the loss of their spouse," stated co-author Marcus Roth, a psychologist from the University of Duisburg-Essen. The majority of individuals will also confront the demise of their parents. While experiencing grief and stress, such happenings are inherent to life and are generally surmounted or greatly improved after approximately 6 months.
20-week wait for a therapy spot
"If we don't touch upon this topic now, it will lead to a challenging discussion when funds exhaust due to demographic shift," Roth pointed out, considering the scarcity of psychotherapy spots and lengthy waiting times. On average, individuals in Germany anticipate a 20-week span, or around 5 months, before securing a psychotherapy appointment. Despite the number of therapists having nearly doubled from 2006 to 2021, the incidence of adults with psychological disorders hasn't diminished.
These researchers suggest offering low-threshold assistance to adults grappling with psychological problems that don't necessitate therapy. Such aid could encompass coaching, counseling, self-help groups, or online resources. "We should have faith in the concept that normality can assume various forms, as we currently discuss under the term 'diversity'", Roth explained.
The scarcity of psychotherapy spots and long waiting times have led the researchers to advocate for alternative forms of assistance, such as coaching or self-help groups. This is because they believe that not all psychological issues require therapy, and normalcy can take various forms.
The increasing number of therapists and psychotherapies has not significantly decreased the incidence of adults with psychological disorders, but the researchers propose offering low-threshold assistance instead. This is partly due to the belief that some so-called psychological disorders may be misdiagnosed as temporary crises or brief issues that can be managed without therapy.
