CDC: More health care workers working in poor conditions
It’s having a major impact on the mental health of health care workers
ATLANTA (WBAY) - A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows more health care workers are experiencing poor work conditions, and that’s having a major impact on their mental health.
The report shows the number of health care workers who reported harassment at work doubled between 2018 and 2022. That included threats, bullying, and verbal abuse from patients or coworkers.
Health care worker burnout was at a crisis level before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic itself created unique challenges that may have had an even bigger impact on mental health.
This report is the first of its kind to describe and compare self-reported well-being and working conditions for health workers, other essential workers, and all other workers before the pandemic and after the start of the pandemic.
It shows that health workers continue to face a mental health crisis. From 2018 to 2022, people in health care in the U.S. had greater declines in a range of mental health outcomes compared to other workers.
As a result, the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is launching a national campaign called the “Impact Well-being Campaign,” which has suggestions for improving health care workers’ well-being.
That includes allowing them to participate in decision-making, building trust in management, providing enough time to complete work, and prevent and paying attention to harassment reports.
The general public is also encouraged to support health workers by expressing appreciation for the work that they do and treating them with understanding and respect.
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