A massively bigger focus on mental wellness–whether in new programming at hotels, wellness retreats and spas or schools and workplaces–was an uber-trend identified by Summit experts. The mounting crisis was laid out. Global economist, Thierry Malleret, explained how, despite our era of historic economic abundance, depression, anxiety disorders, loneliness, addiction and suicide is skyrocketing. So much so that the World Health Organization has forecast that by 2030 the largest health risk on earth will be depression (not obesity). Leading integrative medical experts, like Dr. Elke Benedetto-Reisch and Nils Behrens (Lanserhof Group); Drs. Harry and Imke Koenig (Brenner’s Park Hotel & Spa); and Dr. Christine Stossier (VIVAMAYR Medical Clinic) outlined the serious new problems they’re seeing: from “total burnout” to exploding disorders around stress and the “gut”- with agreement that traditional medicine tends not to see the whole (emotional) patient, or act on evidence that the mind influences every cell in the body. They argued that the wellness industry must zero in on teaching people “the discipline of living again”: to restore day and night, work and rest, learn the connection between bad food and bad mood, and the (painful) discipline of digitally disconnecting. (Notably, the first Summit award for a leader in mental wellness (the Debra Simon Award) went to Jeremy McCarthy, director of spa & wellness for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and author of The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing, for his work in bringing the power of positive psychology to the attention of the spa industry.)

Governments will recognize that a focus on mental wellbeing and happiness is an important key to turning around declining productivity and rising social instability. For instance, Jan- Emmanuel De Neve (economics professor, Oxford University; co-editor of the UN’s World Happiness Report) keynoted on how nations (like the UAE, with their new “Minister of Happiness”), which used to focus only on GDP, are now looking closely at new measures of (and new policies to drive more) national happiness, because “happiness” drives the economy: from studies showing that unhappy teens earn significantly less as adults, to ones showing happy workers are significantly more productive.

Gerry Bodeker, PhD (clinical psychologist; professor, Oxford and Columbia Universities) laid it on the line for the wellness industry, arguing, “It’s time to put a stake in the ground and say… we care about this mental wellness crisis and we’re already doing something about it. Because wellness approaches like meditation, exercise, yoga and healthy food already have strong medical evidence for transformative neurological effects, and make a powerful case for a ‘mental wellness’ pathway that’s distinct from what’s been long offered in the world of ‘mental health’”. The future: “mind” will finally matter as much as “body”–and so many new approaches to driving less stress and more happiness will be one of the biggest, future industry trends.

The Past: A physical health focus has dominated in the wellness industry, over shadowing mental wellbeing and happiness. If the term “mind/body” found a welcome audience within the spa and wellness community, “body/mind” would have been a truer representation. Yes, in the past decade yoga, meditation and mindfulness evolved into mainstream wellness approaches. And during the 2013 Summit in New Delhi, India, His Holiness the Dalai Lama made it very clear in his presentation, “a healthy mind is the key factor for a healthy body…wellness must include a happy mind.”

The Future: Due to increasing levels of stress as well as a greater understanding of brain science, the proper relationship between mind/body is getting clearer. With an alarming mental wellness crisis (spiking depression, anxiety, etc.), wellness retreats, spas, fitness studios, schools, workplaces and governments will step up “healthy mind” programming…in 2020 and beyond.