Healthcare professionals in the United States are experiencing a growing mental health crisis, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study, which analyzed nationwide survey data collected between 2018 and 2022, reveals a significant increase in burnout among healthcare workers, with nearly half reporting feeling burned out in 2022, up from under a third in 2018. Reports of harassment at work also more than doubled over the same period.
The CDC’s report, released on Tuesday, underscores that health workers are facing worse mental health outcomes compared to employees in other industries. The findings come on the heels of the largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history, where 75,000 unionized employees of Kaiser Permanente walked out in five states and the District of Columbia, citing burnout and chronic staffing shortages as key issues.
Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer, expressed concern, saying, “While usually health workers care diligently for others in their time of need, it is now our nation’s health workers who are suffering, and we must act.” She noted that even before the pandemic, healthcare jobs were highly demanding, with long hours, unpredictable schedules, exposure to infectious diseases, and emotionally challenging patient interactions.
Prior research has indicated that healthcare workers, especially nurses, health support workers, and health technicians, face a higher risk of suicide compared to those outside the medical field. The stress of caring for sick patients can be incredibly intense, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, as healthcare providers had to deal with an influx of patients, supply shortages, long working hours, and other stressors.
The CDC study found that healthcare workers experienced more poor mental health days between 2018 and 2022. An increasing number of health workers reported wanting to seek new job opportunities, which was not the case for other essential workers. At the same time, the number of healthcare workers experiencing harassment, including threats, bullying, and verbal abuse from patients and coworkers, nearly doubled during the study period.
According to the report, harassment significantly impacted the mental health of healthcare workers. Those who reported being harassed were five times more likely to experience anxiety, over three times more likely to report depression, and nearly six times more likely to experience burnout. This underscores the importance of improving workplace policies and practices to prevent such issues.
The report recommended that employers take immediate preventive actions, emphasizing the importance of supportive work environments and the role of management in building trust. Cross-level employee participation in decision-making and support from supervisors were also highlighted as key factors in mitigating mental health challenges among health workers.
The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health plans to launch a national campaign to help address health workers’ well-being challenges, recognizing the urgent need to address this mental health crisis among healthcare professionals.