NHS staff are more likely to face poor mental health than the general public, with almost half having a common mental disorder. According to a new survey from NHS Charities Together, 47% of NHS staff have reported that their jobs are negatively affecting their mental health. Of this cohort, over half were experiencing anxiety and one in four experiencing depression. The prevalence of poor mental health amongst NHS staff exceeds current government statistics, which found that one in six adults in England face one of the common mental disorders.
- NHS launches new mental health support for people in crises
- Major disparities in access to mental health services for BME patients, report finds
- RCN raises alarm over continuing workforce shortages, as 32,000 nursing students predicted to quit by 2029
‘NHS staff are facing relentless pressure, working in some of the most challenging conditions the health service has ever seen,’ said Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive at NHS Charities Together. ‘Given these daily pressures, it’s sadly no surprise that mental health issues among NHS workers are so widespread. If we want the NHS to thrive, we must take better care of the people who keep it running.’
Health leaders are calling for better staff support to remedy the pressures on the workforce. The survey found that staff also felt exhausted and burned out, with one in ten reporting suicidal thoughts. Of the surveyed staff, 49% cited staff shortages as the reason for the mental health decline alongside others, such as feeling they couldn’t provide the best standard of care and rising patient numbers. NHS Employers called for better working conditions for NHS staff, and more investment into the workforce.
‘The findings of this survey reinforce the importance of providing the fundamentals to staff when it comes to their wellbeing,’ said Caroline Waterfield, director of development and employment at NHS Employers. ‘This includes providing them with an environment with access to the right resources to be able to do their job, time and space to take a break on shift, and when additional support is needed, timely access to the right level of expertise.’