W9 Wellness Center reveals that the mental health care market continues to grow. GWI states that it is an important agenda for society, while 2.9 million Thai people suffer from mental illness. Many business organizations are starting to prioritize their employees by creating a balance of physical and mental health, solving long-term mental health problems.

Dr. Pichak Wongwisit The doctor who is the director of W9 Wellness Center said that mental health issues are another important issue that society is interested in because the trend is getting more serious, to the point that many business organizations have started to pay attention to the mental health of their employees in order to prevent and help reduce long-term problems, including taking care of health through wellness, emphasizing creating a balance of both physical and mental health, helping to prevent health problems holistically. 

According to data from the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), mental health problems in Thai society have a tendency to increase due to various factors. The Department of Mental Health found that the number of psychiatric patients seeking services has increased from 1.3 million in 2015 to 2.9 million people In 2023

Mental health is a big issue. Society gives more importance

In addition, in the social dimension, mental health issues are another important issue that many sectors are aware of, causing the wellness business market and mental health care to expand. This is consistent with data from the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) that predicts the global mental wellness business market to have a value of approximately $121 billion In 2019 and will grow approximately $150-160 billion In 2024, the average growth rate is 4-5%.

The health tech group of mental health solutions, wellness products and services has grown rapidly, especially digital platforms that help take care of mental health, meditation apps, supplements for mental health, and integrated therapy services, including wearable devices with physical and mental health care features such as stress monitoring and sleep tracking, reflecting the awareness of mental health care and the openness to alternatives for preventive care and holistic healthcare that integrates alternative medicine alongside modern medicine.

“The mental health care market has grown exponentially, especially over the past five years. Since COVID-19, the growth rate has continued to accelerate. Mental health issues have become a more widespread topic of discussion. Companies are starting to pay more attention to the mental health of their employees, whether it’s depression, anxiety, fear, or insomnia. Psychiatrists are booked all year long. Many people are relying on medication. Many people don’t want to rely on medication, but are trying to find alternative treatments to help control their symptoms without medication.”

Good health solves mental health problems

Wellness care to help prevent health problems holistically will make your body and mind strong by paying attention to all aspects of your health, considering all components of your body, not just focusing on the disease or any part, but focusing on the relationship between the body, mind and emotions to create balance and maintain good health, especially mental health problems that are commonly found today. 

Including depression, anxiety, accumulated stress, burnout syndrome, etc., which are caused by many factors, including factors from the environment of daily life, mental and emotional factors from facing events that affect thoughts and feelings, physical factors, which may be caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, abnormal functioning of various body systems that may affect chemicals in the brain, imbalanced hormone levels, including in the elderly, whose body functions deteriorate, etc.

Dr. Phichak He said that holistic medicine is now more widely known as another option for taking care of mental health, whether it be mindfulness exercises such as breathing exercises, meditation exercises, mental strength exercises, changing perspectives and positive attitudes, or using energy medicine to heal the body and mind in a holistic manner (Energy medicine), such as: Acupuncture (Acupuncture) Anthroposophic medicine (Anthroposophic medicine) Homeopathy (Homeopathy) Flower water for healing the heart (Bach flower remedy) including adjusting the diet program Use of personalized vitamin supplements (Personalized Compounding Supplements) The use of herbs, which may be chosen as the main treatment method or used in conjunction with modern medicine in an integrated manner, in line with the lifestyle of people in the present era. 

Physical and mental health problems may have many overlapping causes and affect each other. Emphasizing the creation of a balance of physical and mental health will help prevent health problems holistically, create factors, prevent and reduce risk factors for the causes of various mental health problems, whether it is promoting physical health, strengthening the potential for cells and internal organs of the body to be complete, strong and work most efficiently by exercising regularly to make the body complete, strong and have hormone balance. 

However, hormonal imbalance can occur at any age and often results in abnormalities such as mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, and lack of freshness. These are factors that may lead to depression and accumulated stress. Complete with nutrition, vitamins, and minerals. Certain nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and zinc, play an important role in the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which are also related to mood and thoughts.