Health workers’ mental health is suffering, study finds

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates a troubling mental health crisis among health care workers, with reports of harassment, burnout, and poor mental health.

The nation’s health care workforce is struggling, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the CDC’s latest Vital Signs: Health Workers report. A concerning number of health workers were already battling feelings of burnout prior to the pandemic and the mental health crisis has only intensified over the last few years.

Using data from the General Social Survey Quality of Worklife Module, researchers compared worker’s reported mental health symptoms from 2018 and 2022. Reports of harassment at work, burnout, and poor mental health all increased over the four-year period.

Key findings include:

• Health workers were more likely to report poor working conditions during the pandemic than workers in other sectors.
• The number of health workers who reported harassment at work in 2022 more than doubled compared to 2018, increasing from six percent to 13 percent, respectively.
• Nearly half of health workers (46 percent) reported frequent feelings of burnout in 2022, a 32 percent increase from 2018.
• Forty-four percent of health workers said they intend to look for a new job in 2022, a 33 percent increase from 2018.
• Health workers reported an increase of 1.2 days of poor mental health during the previous 30 days from 2018 to 2022, increasing from 3.3 days to 4.5 days.
• Health workers reported a decrease in the odds of burnout if they trusted their management, had supervisor help, had enough time to complete their work, and felt their workplace supported productivity.
• In 2022, 78 percent of health workers reported trust in management, a drop from 84 percent in 2018.
• There was a decrease in the number of health workers who said their workplace conditions supported productivity, dropping from 91 percent in 2018 to 82 percent in 2022.

“Health workers continued to face a mental health crisis in 2022. Improving management and supervisory practices might reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and burnout,” wrote researchers. “Protecting and promoting health worker mental health has important implications for the nation’s health system and public health.”

The report outlined six steps employers can take to make improvements to the  workplace and mental wellbeing:

1. Encourage employees to take time off.
2. Prioritize worker safety and health.
3. Ensure adequate staffing.
4. Include employees in decision-making.
5. Assign a senior leader to promote staff wellbeing.
6. Train supervisors to provide support.

The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health plans to launch the national social marketing campaign, Impact Wellbeing, to spread awareness, prevention strategies, and training around worker mental health.

“We depend on our nation’s health workers, and they must be supported. Employers can act now by modifying working conditions associated with burnout and poor mental health outcomes in health settings,” said CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, M.D., M.P.H., in a statement, adding that the campaign will provide health employers with necessary resources to improve worker mental health.