Healthcare Burnout and Anxiety

If you haven’t thanked a healthcare worker lately, please take the time to do so.? They deserve one, if not many.? Often taken for granted for the role they play, healthcare workers care for those in need at times of personal and public health crises. During the Covid-19 pandemic, healthcare workers have acted heroically in providing essential services and care to those affected by the virus. Despite their admirable efforts, healthcare workers are often the most susceptible to the emotional and physical distress associated with juggling long hours, stressful and potentially unstable working conditions, lack of staffing, and ever increasing responsibilities. Therefore it is not surprising that healthcare workers experience a high degree of anxiety as part of their job under normal circumstances, yet alone when working in times of crisis. This combination of? stressors leads to burnout. This week’s post examines the relationship between anxiety and burnout among healthcare workers, the challenges they are experiencing, strategies for managing their stress, and the importance of having access to mental health resources.?

Anxiety is defined as an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, marked by physiological changes such as heightened alertness, accelerated heart rate, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating. As a natural response to stress, anxiety can be beneficial in preparing people to respond to dangerous or stressful situations and can even result in improved performance. For healthcare workers, anxiety is an especially important emotion to be aware of, as it has the potential to build up with prolonged exposure to the demands of their profession.

Burnout, on the other hand, is a term used to describe the psychological, behavioral, and emotional exhaustion experienced by individuals due to prolonged, prolonged strain or pressures in their work environment. It has been widely researched and documented in the healthcare industry, with particular emphasis on the nursing profession. Burnout can manifest in a variety of ways, including physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms such as fatigue, reduced job satisfaction, diminished self-esteem, and difficulty concentrating.

The Covid-19 pandemic pushed healthcare workers to their limits and exposed them to greater psychological and physical stress. Technological advances have allowed an increase in communication and collaboration between healthcare workers, meaning that they are now expected to respond to increased workloads, maintain relationships with patients, and manage their own physical and mental health. Healthcare workers have also had to continually adapt their job roles and practices in order to meet the changing needs of patients and health systems. As a result, many healthcare workers experienced very high levels of stress, anxiety, and burn-out due to the continual uncertainty of the virus. In addition, as is often the case, the demands have not and in the foreseeable future may not decrease, leading to higher levels of stress, anxiety and burnout among those who care for us.

The relationship between anxiety and burnout is not a new concept; in fact, many studies have shown a correlation between the two in healthcare workers, both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Research suggests that the higher the levels of pre-existing anxiety in healthcare workers, the higher the levels of burnout. This is likely due to the fact that healthcare workers are continually exposed to difficult and stressful working environments, which are amplified during periods of crisis. Furthermore, studies have indicated that burnout can lead to an increase in anxiety, as exhaustion and feelings of hopelessness can make it difficult for healthcare workers to cope with long periods of stress.

Given the levels of stress and anxiety among healthcare workers there is a need for effective strategies to manage psychological strain. Mental health interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and peer support have been found to be effective tools for reducing stress, anxiety, and burnout among healthcare workers. NIOSH's Health Worker Mental Health Initiative, along with similar approaches in other countries create an organizational approach addressing healthcare worker mental health.? These interventions focus on helping healthcare workers identify and address the sources of their distress, as well as develop a greater sense of self-awareness and resilience. Additionally, providing healthcare workers with access to mental health resources is vital in order to support optimal mental health, as it helps to normalize the idea of seeking help for mental health issues. Muvik Labs, whose mission is to help people all over the world reduce their anxiety, regardless of trigger, created BreathConductor? as an in-the-moment solution for addressing the symptoms thus allowing individuals to rebalance the autonomic nervous system in minutes and build emotional resilience over time.

Healthcare workers are exposed to an immense amount of stress and anxiety due to their occupation and has been greatly exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Consequently, healthcare workers often experience high levels of burnout as a result of the demands of their job. The relationship between anxiety and burnout is not a new concept; studies have demonstrated that these two emotions often go hand in hand in healthcare workers. These findings suggest that it is essential for healthcare workers to be able to access mental health resources, in order to promote self-care and optimize levels of mental well-being.

Remember that keeping healthcare workers well is good for all of us. So next time you interact with one remember to give them a "Thank You."

To learn more, on how BreathConductor? can assist you, or your team Contact Us with questions and to schedule a brief demo.