In recent years, psychological associations from around the world have made the case that we need more psychologists than ever before. While that’s great news for psychology majors and those hoping to study psychology in the future, it certainly does beg the question: why?
Why have over 60 international psychological associations come together to create a joint statement to challenge leaders and the public to recognise how important psychology is to the world? Let’s take a closer look into why we think the world is in desperate need of more psychologists.
What is Psychology and What Do Psychologists Do?
Psychology is a science that looks into the human mind and behaviours, developing theories and reasons behind human thoughts, emotions, and why we do the things we do. It looks into behaviours of both individuals and societal levels, helping to create a deeper understanding of human functioning and hopefully working out how we can avoid bad behaviours as much as possible.
Psychologists have a crucial role in supporting health and well-being within a human rights framework, with the sole goal of improving the lives of the people affected. There are plenty of benefits to studying psychology, but many psychologists believe that improving people's lives is the most important and biggest motivator.
Why are Psychologists So Essential in the World?
Psychologists have a deeper understanding of human behaviour and emotion in all aspects of life, so they’re often highly regarded and necessary in all professions. Psychology is the study of humans, and without knowing the motivations behind what humans do, we’d often be stumped as to why many things in the world happen. The beauty of psychologists is that they mostly all have a varied way of looking at things, meaning they all have slightly different theories that can be tested against each other to find which is the most credible.
Psychologists spend their lives trying to find improvements to make upon humans, from self-improvement to battling addiction, understanding relationships better to improving well-being. Taking these improvements and applying them to our lives can not only improve our outlook on life, but also for the people around us.
But psychology doesn’t just help individuals - it also benefits society, too. Psychologists are often needed to help shape and inform areas of the world, such as education, employment, justice, medicine, and business - to name a few. Psychologists are needed everywhere in the world, in every part of life, which is why they’re so essential and why the world needs more of them.
What are the Different Types of Psychology?
There are plenty of types of psychology you could get into depending on your interests and where you want to help shape the world. Here are a few of the most popular areas you could get into while studying psychology:
Clinical Psychology
This area of study involves evaluating and treating psychological challenges, such as mental illnesses, learning disabilities, psychological disorders, and more. It’s one of the more popular areas of psychology and arguably one of the most important, as it can help people from all walks of life improve their well-being.
Educational Psychology
Educational psychology uses the fundamentals of psychology to develop and improve children's learning, hopefully helping them through their school years with the best outcomes possible. It focuses on children's mental health and how schooling affects this, as well as how it can be improved to keep children happy and healthy during their most formative years.
Forensic Psychology
Forensic psychology examines the impact of criminality on both the individual who has committed the crime and society. This is an incredibly important area, too, as it ensures criminals are understood and develops theories about why they’ve committed such acts. Psychologists in this area can help victims understand what’s happened and why and, hopefully, help criminals on their path to rehabilitation.
Counselling Psychology
Counselling is similar to clinical psychology, but counselors work more closely with patients to understand the complex emotional challenges others might be facing. They’ll also work closely with clinical research and study while also working with their clients regularly to help them improve their well-being in the long run.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, psychologists are incredibly important in the world and we always need more of them. Not only can they help improve the lives of individuals and society, but they’re also required in every walk of life to help people understand others more compassionately. If you’ve been considering studying psychology, take this as your sign to make the leap - because the world needs you!
