The Twenty-First Century

This chapter brings the story up to the present day, in the third decade of the twenty-first century. Much has changed in the field of mental health since the end of the twentieth century. The professional field of mental health has grown and become more integrated with other professional fields, and it has become more professionalized in general. The battles between the behaviorists, the humanists, and the psychoanalysts are (mostly) behind us. The battles between the nature camp and the nurture camp are (mostly) over. The field has expanded beyond its focus on psychological problems and has become engaged in the area of mental health and wellness. It has embraced the populations it serves, providing them with a more equal footing in regard to how their challenges are conceptualized and addressed. It has taken a more multicultural perspective, thinking more about how mental health and illness are perceived and experienced cross-culturally. And finally, the world of neuroscience is emerging as a powerful force in how we understand the brain and its role in maintaining mental health or triggering mental illness. The word here is emergence. The various specialties in this wide-ranging field have lived so long in their own silos that it is still a challenge to get them to “talk together” in meaningful and productive ways to develop a holistic understanding of our topic.