Half of UK health workers suffering stress because of Covid-19

Half of health workers are suffering mental health problems such as stress and trauma as a result of dealing with COVID-19, new research reveals.

The pandemic is having a “severe impact” on the mental wellbeing of NHS personnel as well as agency staff, GPs and dentists, with rates of anxiety and burnout also running far higher than usual.

New YouGov polling for the IPPR thinktank found that 50% of 996 healthcare workers questioned across the UK said their mental health had deteriorated since the virus began taking its toll.

That emerged as the biggest impact on staff, just ahead of worries about their family’s safety because of a lack of testing and protective equipment for NHS workers (49%) and concern about their ability to ensure that patients receive high-quality care when the NHS is so busy (43%).

As many as 71% of younger health professionals, who are likely to be inexperienced and early in their careers, said their mental health had deteriorated. More women were affected than men.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 23 April 2020