Depression and Anxiety
Psychological services for adults include therapy for the treatment of mood disorders such as depression, as well as anxiety disorders. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 1 out of every 6 adults will experience a major depressive episode sometime during their life (Kessler et al., 2003). A similar number of adults will also experience an anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, among others. Research has shown that psychotherapy for mood and anxiety disorders is effective at reducing symptoms and preventing future occurrences.
Relationship Problems
Services for adults also include therapy for dealing with difficult relationship problems. Life’s most difficult challenges typically include navigating through conflict-laden relationships. Many times, individuals will notice similarities and patterns from one relationship to the next that they want to begin addressing in treatment. Working through these difficulties with an experienced psychologist can help to create healthier and more effective relationships that provide the personal enrichment that only close relationships with others can bring.
Workplace Stress
The modern workplace is more stressful than ever. A recent national survey found that “The vast majority of American workers say they are stressed, more than a third say that their job is harming their physical or emotional well-being, 42% say job pressures are interfering with their family or personal lives, and half report more demanding workloads than they had a year ago.” Often, overwhelming workplace difficulties can lead to heightened states of anxiety and depression, with symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, increased or decreased appetite, and decreased motivation to engage in enjoyable activities. Finding healthy ways to adapt to such stress, or finding ways to reduce or eliminate stressors if possible can be an important task to work on with a psychologist to reduce stress-related symptoms and improve one’s quality of life.