Why Innovation Is Key to the Future of Psychology Education

In this article, Nicholas Covino states that mental illness is a problem many people do not want to discuss, yet it affects everyone. Today, one in four adults and one in five children have a diagnosable mental illness, and one of two Americans will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives. Suicide will claim one American every 13 minutes, and 12 times that number will make an attempt each day. When this problem strikes families, the statistics show that 70% of parents in this country might not be able to obtain care for their child. These statistics are shocking, yet mental illness is a subject that is discussed only after a terrible tragedy, or an act of violence. This should not be the case, as talking about and treating mental illness leads to tangible results. Mental health professionals need to deliver information and care through electronic means, which involves embracing the latest tools and technologies available and supplementing these technologies with the development of meaningful relationships with each patient. Teachers, medical practitioners, and attorneys whose work touches the psychosocial lives of their students, patients, and clients need to be educated to both attend to and intervene properly to emotional and behavioral issues that they see. If they spot signs of mental illness early on, they can help the person suffering from mental illness to address the problems they face before they get out of control. Embracing experiential learning, having constant conversations about mental illness, educating colleagues in other professions, engaging technology, and encouraging a diverse approach to psychology education are concepts that this field has been slow to embrace, however, if all focus on innovating in this field, future conversations will revolve less around problems, and more on solutions.