Doctors and nurses are more likely to experience mental health problems due to their challenging work, especially during COVID-19. Increased workload, fear of contracting the virus, and financial problems are the issues they faced during the pandemic. In the long run, this could harm their career productivity and well-being. So what should we do to prevent stress and anxiety in healthcare workers? This article will dig more into the hard facts and what’s best to cope with and prevent mental health issues.
What you’ll learn
- What causes stress and anxiety in healthcare workers?
- How to know a healthcare worker is stressed?
- How to know a healthcare worker has anxiety?
- What should a healthcare worker do to overcome stress & anxiety?
- What should a healthcare institution do to improve its employees’ well-being?
What causes stress and anxiety in healthcare workers?
Healthcare worker is a role that usually puts the well-being of others before themselves. However, sometimes, this admirable dedication may not be aligned with how they take care of their well-being. In the long run, it may lead to poor mental health outcomes.
Various factors can cause stress and anxiety in healthcare professionals, including:
- Increased workload and long working hours. Healthcare and social workers often have to work long hours handling many patients, which can be physically and mentally exhausting.
- Emotional demands of the job. Caring for patients who are sick or dying can be emotionally taxing and can lead to feelings of stress.
- High-pressure work environment. The healthcare industry is fast-paced and can be high-stress, which can cause anxiety and job burnout.
- Risk of exposure to infectious diseases. Healthcare and social workers have a higher risk of exposure to infectious diseases, which can cause anxiety and stress.
- Financial pressures. Healthcare workers often face financial pressures, such as high student loan debt and low salaries.
- Workplace violence. Healthcare and social workers are at a higher risk of experiencing violence and aggression from patients or visitors.
- Job burnout. Healthcare workers are at a higher risk of job burnout due to the demanding nature of their work. The emotional exhaustion and physical toll can also add the burden.
The healthcare system can be emotionally charged, stressful, fast-paced, and under-resourced, which leads to healthcare professionals experiencing job burnout. Job burnout will look like exhaustion, physically and emotionally, and an unmotivated feeling when doing the job. According to the UK’s House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee 2021-2022 report, 40.3% of healthcare workers experienced stress at work, which led to them feeling unwell.
How to know a healthcare worker is stressed?
There are several signs that you, your employee, or your colleague may be experiencing stress, including:
- Physical symptoms. Stress healthcare workers may experience headaches, stomachaches, and difficulty sleeping.
- Emotional symptoms. Stress healthcare workers may experience emotional exhaustion, such as irritability, anxiety, and depression.
- Behavioural symptoms. Stress healthcare workers may exhibit behavioural changes such as increased absenteeism, and changes in their work performance.
- Cognitive symptoms. Stress healthcare workers may have difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things.
- Social symptoms. Stress healthcare workers may withdraw from social activities and relationships and become isolated.
How to know a healthcare worker has anxiety?
There are several signs that a healthcare worker may have anxiety, including:
- Physical symptoms. The healthcare worker may experience sweating, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, or dizziness.
- Emotional symptoms. The healthcare worker may feel tense, worried, or panicked.
- Behavioural symptoms. The healthcare worker may avoid situations that trigger anxiety or may engage in behaviours like excessive hand washing or checking.
- Cognitive symptoms. The healthcare worker may have negative thoughts or distorted perceptions. For example, feeling like they are losing control or thinking something terrible is going to happen.
If these symptoms show, it may be a sign that they are experiencing stress and may need emotional support. Therefore, it is important to encourage healthcare workers to seek help if they are experiencing stress or anxiety.
What should a healthcare worker do to overcome stress and anxiety?
Healthcare professionals can take several steps to overcome stress and anxiety, including:
- Prioritise self-care. Health workers should make time for themselves and engage in activities that help them relax and recharge. For example: exercise, meditation, or spending time with friends and family.
- Practice mindfulness. Health care workers should practice mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing or body scans. It will help them stay focused and calm in the face of stress and anxiety.
- Healthy diet. A healthy diet can help support mental health and reduce stress and anxiety.
- Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep is essential for good mental health and stress and anxiety reduction.
- Maintain a work-life balance. Healthcare workers should try to balance their work and personal lives to avoid job burnout and maintain good mental health.
- Seek emotional support. Health care workers should seek emotional support from their colleagues, supervisors, or professional organisations to help them cope.
- Seek professional help. If stress and anxiety are interfering with their work or personal life, health care workers should seek assistance from professionals. Go to a therapist or counsellor.
- Establish healthy boundaries. Healthcare workers should establish healthy boundaries with their patients, colleagues, and supervisors to avoid becoming overwhelmed and stressed.
Healthcare professionals can effectively manage and overcome stress and anxiety by taking this timely mental health care.
What should a healthcare institution do to improve its employees’ well-being?
It is essential for healthcare institutions to prioritise their employees’ well-being. To improve the well-being of their healthcare professionals, a healthcare institution can take the following steps:
- Provide adequate staffing levels: Ensuring enough staff to handle the workload can help reduce stress and job burnout among employees.
- Encourage self-care: Encourage employees to take breaks and engage in activities that promote their physical and emotional well-being. It can include exercise, healthy eating, and getting enough sleep.
- Offer emotional support and resources: Provide employees access to mental health resources, such as therapists, counselling services, and support groups.
- Create a supportive work environment: Encourage open communication and emotional support among employees, and provide a safe and respectful work environment.
- Implement policies to prevent workplace violence: Develop policies and procedures to prevent and address workplace violence, and provide employees with training to recognise and respond to violent situations.
- Provide regular feedback and recognition: Provide regular feedback and recognition to employees to support their professional development and help them feel valued and appreciated.
Conclusion
Overcoming mental health problems is vital for healthcare professionals to continue to thrive and have a better work-life balance. Understanding the cause and recognising the symptoms is one way to start. It is also important for healthcare workers to prioritise their mental health and well-being. Health workers can manage stress and prevent job burnout or other mental health problems by seeking emotional support, practising self-care, and utilising relaxation techniques.
Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognised the impact of stress and anxiety on healthcare workers and has provided a guide on addressing these issues. In their report “Mental health in the workplace: a priority for all”, the WHO emphasises the need to support healthcare workers’ mental health and promote a healthy work environment. The report recommends that healthcare institutions provide resources on mental health concerns, such as counselling services and stress management programs, to support their employees. The WHO also recommends that healthcare institutions create a positive work environment that promotes collaboration, communication, and respect among employees. The WHO aims to improve their mental health and prevent job burnout by addressing stress and anxiety in healthcare workers.
Are you a healthcare worker looking for a better workplace in the healthcare industry? Here at Doctor Jobs Today, we provide the most reliable and well-curated vacancies from the best medical institutions in Malaysia. You can also access various recommendations and guidelines to help you stay on track. Get your CV ready and find your future career in Doctor Jobs Today, now!
About Doctor Jobs Today
Doctor Jobs Today is the first job-seeking platform in Southeast Asia dedicated to serving the job searching needs of healthcare professionals. We have created a space to connect employers and medical job seekers seamlessly. As part of the healthcare community, we understand that traditional job portals are not catered toward the medical profession. So we decided to create a portal advertising only the most relevant jobs from the top employers within the industry because we are just as picky as you are!
Doctor Jobs Today has the right vacancy whether you are looking for a higher salary, a better-equipped hospital for your specialisation, or even a career shift from patient care.
About Docquity
If you feel like your educational and professional experience has not been sufficient to make your CV pop, expanding the network to other healthcare professionals to practise peer-to-peer learning might be the answer. One of the ways to do it is by joining a social platform for healthcare professionals, such as Docquity.
Docquity is an AI-based state-of-the-art private & secure continual learning network of verified doctors, bringing you real-time knowledge from thousands of doctors worldwide. Today, Docquity has over 300,000 doctors spread across six countries in Asia.
Meet experts and trusted peers across Asia where you can safely discuss clinical cases, get up-to-date insights from webinars and research journals, and earn CME/CPD credits through certified courses. All with the ease of a mobile app available on Android & iOS platforms!
