Health workers continued to experience higher levels of burnout and worse mental health in 2022 than in 2018, according to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analysis of survey results from 3395 workers, 551 of whom were health workers. About 44% of health workers indicated that they were somewhat or very likely to look for a new job in 2022.

“Health workers faced overwhelming demands and experienced crisis levels of burnout before the COVID-19 pandemic; the pandemic presented unique challenges that further impaired their mental health,” the researchers wrote in the CDC’s Vital Signs report. [JAMA]

Almost half of health workers reported feeling burned out often or very often in 2022. Those who reported being harassed at work were more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and burnout than those who didn’t report harassment. In contrast, those who described having trust in management, involvement in decision-making, and enough time to complete their work were less likely to report feeling burned out and anxious.

The researchers noted that these findings support an emphasis on “improving the work environment to support mental health, rather than asking workers to be more resilient or to fix problems themselves.”

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