Anxiety, burnout, and mental health have been buzzwords in the healthcare space for a long time. Now, the CDC has released new research that backs up those buzzwords with real numbers about the mental health challenges facing today’s healthcare workers.
On Oct. 24, the CDC released a Vital Signs report titled, “Health Worker-Perceived Working Conditions and Symptoms of Poor Mental Health — Quality of Worklife Survey.” The survey is based on self-reported mental health and well-being information from healthcare workers, and compares data collected in 2018 with data collected in 2022. The goal of the study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers, as compared to pre-pandemic levels and as compared to workers in other industries.
After reviewing the study, as well as industry analysis of the data, our team walked away with some high-level insights about the state of the healthcare industry. Check out a summary of our takeaways below:
Burnout among healthcare workers pre-dates the pandemic.
The introduction to the study claims that, “The longstanding health worker burnout crisis preceded the COVID-19 pandemic,” and the numbers back this up. In 2018, over 30 percent of healthcare workers who were surveyed reported that they experienced burnout “often” or “very often.” The numbers indicate that burnout was already a significant problem among healthcare teams, and that the pandemic just added a new layer of stress onto an already-overwhelmed system.
Turnover rates among healthcare workers increased post-pandemic.
In 2018, 11 percent of healthcare workers reported being “very likely” to look for a new job — in 2022, that number went up to 16 percent. Overall, 44 percent of healthcare workers said they were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to look for a new job. That means that, as of 2022, almost half of all healthcare workers surveyed were open to looking for a new position. This seems to indicate that there many healthcare professionals are feeling a low sense of commitment to their current organization and curiosity about trying something new.
While the pandemic is a factor in healthcare worker burnout, organizational support also plays a key role.
The authors of the study note that “U.S. health workers were more likely than were other workers to report negative changes in working conditions during that time [2022].” Some of the negative changes cited in the study include increases in health worker harassment, job stress, poor psychological safety climate, and a lack of trust in management and supervisors. While these factors were likely made worse by the pandemic, reforming them could also be the key to making positive change in the healthcare space.
Positive working conditions can make a big difference when it comes to healthcare worker burnout.
Burnout rates were lower among health workers who reported positive changes in their workplace conditions, which included factors like trusting management, having supportive supervisors, having enough time to complete work, and the ability to be productive at work. These numbers indicate that when hospitals are able to create more supportive, positive working environments for their staff, many of the negative effects of burnout and overwhelm will start to subside.
A key part of the solution is improving workplace conditions and environments.
The CDC is already taking steps to address some of the issues uncovered in the survey, and so far, their solutions are focused on improving workplaces for healthcare workers. The Impact Wellbeing campaign highlights positive culture changes hospitals can make to support employees, including supportive supervision, increasing psychological safety, and increasing worker participation in decision-making. The campaign was launched by the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and is in line with the Surgeon General’s emphasis on supporting healthcare workers’ mental health through structural workplace changes.
Conclusion: Reasons to Be Hopeful about Healthcare Worker Mental Health
While there is much to be concerned about in the recent CDC report, there is also plenty of evidence that inspires hope. If healthcare organizations can focus resources, time, and attention on improving workplace culture and environment, they just might alleviate the stress healthcare workers are experiencing and retain more of their top talent.
Lauren Bencekovich is the founder and Managing Director of Lauren Recruiting Group, a boutique healthcare recruiting firm that matches healthcare executive candidates with hospitals and health organizations. Looking for an outstanding C-Suite candidate? Visit our contact page to schedule a 30-minute intro call with one of our recruiting team members. We look forward to connecting and matching you with a top-tier candidate!