The Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) ranks anxiety as the country’s most common mental illness—and depression as the leading cause of disability for people ages 15 to 50—it isn’t a leap to assume at least some of the people receiving massage therapy are experiencing issues with their mental health. According to AMTA’s 2021 Massage Profession Research Report, 27 percent of consumers who received massage in the last 12 months did so for relaxation and stress reduction. Add to that massage’s potential for relieving tension and chronic pain (two major manifestations of stress and anxiety), and what’s left is a high likelihood of missed opportunity.

Massaging the Mental

In the grand scheme, the ability to assess clients’ mental health may not matter nearly as much as the potential to bolster it. Each year sees new research linking massage therapy to mental wellness, particularly as it relates to chronic pain, sleep and stress.