Widespread misunderstandings about mental health careers

Think Ahead has released new research showing that, while many people might be interested in working in mental health, there are widespread misunderstandings about careers in the field.

With more mental health professionals urgently needed, including to deal with the impact of coronavirus, the Think Ahead charity surveyed over 2,000 UK adults, asking them a variety of questions to better understand how people feel about working in mental health and what may be preventing them from choosing this field.

The report shows that the majority of people recognise the valuable nature of mental health careers, and that many people might in principle be open to considering a career in mental health: 93 per cent of those expressing an opinion agree that mental health professionals get to make a real difference to the people they work with; and 11 per cent of working-age adults might consider a career in mental health – this could be in the region of almost four million people across the UK.

However, many of those expressing an opinion also have negative misconceptions about what mental health roles are like. Think Ahead reports that 90 per cent believe that mental health professionals are at risk of attack, 85 per cent think they have to work long and unsociable hours and only 42 per cent believe that they are paid well.

The research also found that people tend to overestimate the entry requirements and financial means needed to train in mental health. Among such concerns, 49 per cent believe that you can’t train to be a mental health professional if you have personally experienced severe mental health problems.

In order to address the barriers which may be putting talented people off careers in mental health, the report suggests that action should be taken to: increase awareness of the range of roles available within mental health; increase understanding of entry routes and requirements, as well as the support available; where possible, address negative misconceptions about mental health roles; and apply these efforts across all sections of the population, as there is interest in the field across all demographics and the workforce will be more effective with as diverse a mix as possible of backgrounds and experiences.

Ella Joseph, chief executive of Think Ahead, said: “Our research highlights the enormous opportunity there is to get more people into mental health jobs – but also the mountain of misunderstanding that needs to be conquered first. The devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic on mental health will increase pressure on the mental health workforce. Our findings are an urgent wake-up call for everyone involved in recruiting people to work in this critical area. All employers in the mental health workforce need to work together to bust some of these myths and raise awareness of how accessible and rewarding careers in mental health can be.”