New study reveals COVID-19 has affected the mental health of 74% of NHS workers
Nearly three quarters (74%) of NHS professionals admit that their mental health and general well-being has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic according to a new study from charity Duty To Care.
The charity, which provides free mental health and well-being support via online consultation, surveyed 500 NHS workers in the UK in partnership with Sapio Research about how their mental health has been impacted by the enormous amount of pressure at work every day. A huge 88 per cent said that the pandemic has significantly affected their day to day working life.
As junior doctors begin their full-time roles this month, the research aims to highlight the importance of supporting NHS professionals during this unprecedented and daunting time.
NHS anaesthetist, and Duty To Care Co-founder, Charlie Hunt recalls how it felt on his first day at work, 5 years ago. “On Tuesday I was a medical student and on Wednesday I was a doctor. Although staff knew it was my first day, the hospital still had to function, and I was given what felt like a lot of responsibility at the time. You’re supposed to hit the ground running and be able to do it. It was unbelievably overwhelming.”
The data from the Duty to Care survey revealed:
Nearly three quarters (74%) of NHS professionals admit that their mental health and general well-being has been affected since the start of the pandemic
Respondents report they are suffering from anxiety (70%), sleep problems (64%), depression or low mood (51%), irritability (49%) and poor self-esteem (27%)
60 per cent admitted they have not considered accessing support for these issues
Shame and embarrassment (23%) cited as key barrier to seeking help
Just under three quarters (74%) of NHS workers said they do not prioritise their own mental health and well-being
Research from charity Duty to Care aims to highlight importance of mental health support for NHS workers as junior doctors begin full-time roles this month
mental health becomes most reported reason for sick leave
Recent NHS data[2] from March 2020 already reveals a worrying trend of staff citing mental health as a reason for taking sick leave, with the most reported reason for absence being anxiety/stress/depression/other psychiatric illnesses at 21 per cent.
And this new research further highlights that these issues are only worsening due to coronavirus, with respondents citing anxiety (70%), sleep problems (64%), depression or low mood (51%), irritability (49%), and low self-esteem (27%) amongst other challenges they are currently facing.
Birmingham based GP and the charity’s medical adviser, Dr Serena Rakha, knows first-hand the importance of looking after your well-being as an NHS professional, “Over the last 10 years through hospital rotations and GP practices – I was starting to feel run down. I had put on weight and had a lack of energy to do anything outside of work. I started to think of ways I could improve my quality of life and I began a personal journey of self-growth through mindfulness, exercise and eating healthily”.
Shame and embarrassment prevent staff seeking support
The Duty To Care study shows that 60 per cent of NHS workers have not considered seeking help or support for mental health issues they are facing, and just under three quarters (74%) admitted they do not prioritise their own mental health and general well-being.
Serena continues, “A lot of us don’t focus enough on the importance of our own well-being, especially as our attention is on our own patient’s care. Among healthcare professionals, there can be this invincible attitude that we cannot develop physical or mental health conditions, and there can also be a stigma attached to a health professional going to see their GP. There is that fear of being treated differently in the workplace, or even the fear of treatment itself”.
Nearly a quarter of NHS professionals (23%) surveyed revealed that shame and embarrassment was the second biggest factor stopping them from seeking help and support, with busy schedules and convenience the number one reason (29%). Lack of awareness (12%) and accessibility (12%) were also cited as barriers to accessing support, as well as cost (9%).
Yet, 84 per cent of NHS professionals said that they would feel better at work by taking more time to focus on their own mental health and well-being.
NHS workers are suffering ptsd, traumas and mental & physical exhaustion
Nicky Perl, therapist for Duty To Care comments “I’m not surprised to see that a high percentage of NHS workers have not considered seeking help. All my clients admitted they found it hard to accept the free support on offer. It often took the intervention of a concerned colleague to encourage them to take that first step, which perhaps says something about the ethos of the NHS – to just carry on”.
“The pandemic has completely turned the lives of our healthcare professionals upside down, making an already stressful job and working environment much harder to deal with. Many are suffering from ‘imposter syndrome’, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from, not only what they’ve experienced day to day on the front line, but also past traumas, and general mental and physical exhaustion”.
“It is paramount that those who are struggling get the support they need. There should be no stigma or shame attached to getting help, and free services supporting mental health and well-being, such as those that Duty To Care offers, will provide a lifetime to NHS workers now and in the future”.
duty to care – providing a complimentary support system
Charlie, who has seen the benefits of these services on his mental health, concludes, “Keeping things under control prepares you for when you do become overwhelmed, and this is vital during the pandemic. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) plus advice on my diet and fitness has helped me through challenging times in my career, especially when I first qualified as a junior Doctor”.
“You don’t have to think ‘I’m in desperate need of help right now’ to benefit on a day-to-day basis from what the Duty to Care practitioners offer. If you have mechanisms in place to help you already, you can get better a lot quicker”.
“Duty to Care does not exist to replace any of the support that’s already available through the NHS Trusts but as a complimentary support system. I believe my NHS colleagues will benefit significantly from an additional means of support, to create their own coping mechanisms”.
The charity has recently secured a grant from the British Medical Association to further support beneficiaries in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
For more information about Duty To Care support or to donate please visit www.dutytocare.info.