CDC/NIOSH to Host Panel Discussion on Protecting Health Worker Mental Health: A Call to Action
CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will host a special virtual event with NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and other national experts from labor and medicine on the mental health of the nation’s critical health workforce.
Workers providing health services face many on-the-job challenges that can lead to work-related stress. For many of the more than 20 million health workers in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic has also led to new and worsening mental health concerns, including burnout, compassion fatigue, depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and suicidal ideation. These concerns affect each worker’s overall health, job performance, and ultimately, patient care and safety.