A new CDC report quantifies what many healthcare workers know to be true: Risks to their mental health, safety and well-being have skyrocketed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CDC's Oct. 24 Vital Signs report, "Health Worker–Perceived Working Conditions and Symptoms of Poor Mental Health — Quality of Worklife Survey," is the first to describe and compare self-reported well-being and working conditions for healthcare workers from pre- to mid-pandemic (2018 to 2022). The CDC conducted the analysis to ascertain whether U.S. health workers experienced more mental health declines than did other workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CDC administered questionnaires for the analysis, collecting responses from 1,443 workers in 2018 (226 health workers, 379 other essential workers and 838 other workers) and 1,952 workers in 2022 (325 health workers, 467 other essential workers and 1,160 other workers). Health workers include clinicians as well as mental health, public health and long-term care professionals.
The report shows that U.S. health workers face a mental health crisis, with the number of self-reported poor mental health days increasing more than other workers between 2018 and 2022.
"To label our current and long-standing challenge a 'crisis' is an understatement," Casey Chosewood, MD, director and senior medical officer with the Office for Total Worker Health — National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, said in a news conference Oct. 24. "Many of our nation's healthcare systems are at their breaking point; staffing crises, lack of supportive leadership, long hours of work and excessive demands and flexibilities in our nation's health systems all must be addressed. We're calling on employers to take this information to heart and take immediate preventive actions."
Here are six key takeaways from the report:
1. More than double the number of health workers reported harassment at work in 2022 than in 2018, including threats, bullying, verbal abuse, or other actions from patients and co-workers that create a hostile work environment.
2. Among health workers who reported being harassed, the odds of reporting anxiety, depression and burnout were 5.01, 3.38 and 5.83 times, respectively, those among health workers who were not harassed.
3. In 2022, 46% of health workers reported feeling burned out often or very often, compared to 32% in 2018. The percentage of all other workers reporting burnout was similar in the two years.
4. Health workers experienced lower odds of burnout if they trusted management, had supervisor help, had enough time to complete work and felt that their workplace supported productivity.
5. Health workers who reported that there were not enough staff members had 1.91 times the odds of reporting symptoms of anxiety and 2.73 times the odds of reporting burnout compared with those who did not report staffing shortages.
6. Nearly half (44%) of health workers said they intended to look for a new job in 2022, up from 33% in 2018. In contrast, among all other workers, turnover intention declined during this time period.