Demand for mental health care among healthcare professionals doubles
The Galatea Foundation , an organization that promotes the health and well-being of healthcare professionals in Catalonia, has released data from its latest survey, conducted in the fall of 2021, reflecting the level of physical and mental distress among healthcare workers. This monitoring does not include the potential impact of the sixth wave of the pandemic during the winter of 2021-2022.
The study's data reflects how the distress is cumulative over time and shows no signs of recovery. In fact, more than half of healthcare professionals in Catalonia, 54%, have sought mental health services (39%) or are considering doing so (15%). According to the organization's figures, this is double the demand recorded in the summer of 2020.
Self-care strategies for healthcare professionals
This study gathers data on the impact of COVID-19 through surveys conducted with doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, veterinarians, and social workers. Of these groups, nurses and social workers report the worst perceived health. These are precisely two highly feminized professions, and women consistently show worse health indicators than men across all groups.
The perception of fair or poor mental health triples
According to the Galatea Foundation, the mental health of healthcare professionals was already perceived as fair or poor by 10% of them. This situation stems from excessive workloads, lack of professional recognition, unhealthy lifestyles, symptoms of fatigue, stress and pain, and poor sleep quality.
With the pandemic, these figures have tripled , going from 10% to 30.5% , with nurses, social workers and doctors showing the greatest psychological burden and experiencing the most negative evolution since the start of the pandemic.
These groups express thoughts such as "not being able to take it anymore" or the feeling of being "overwhelmed," which affect 30% of professionals, especially nurses (39.8%). On the other hand, the feeling of "burnout" is present in 36% of professionals (39% in 2020), with nurses being the most affected (43.2%), followed by doctors (38.1%).
Nearly half of healthcare professionals have been at risk of developing a mental disorder
The Galatea Foundation explains in its news report that this latest survey includes, for the first time, situations of post-traumatic stress. The results show that 16.3% of professionals report often acting as if they are reliving stressful experiences related to the pandemic. Nurses (26.3%) and social workers (24.6%) are the most affected.
The Galatea Foundation, which launched a telematic psychological support service for healthcare professionals when the pandemic hit, has assisted more than 1,900 healthcare professionals in Catalonia as of February 2022. The service can be accessed by calling 900 670 777 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Friday.
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