Maybe more than any other sector of the economy, healthcare has people at its center and relies completely on those people to care for other people. But what happens when a significant percentage of the caregiving population is suffering?

Nurses and other frontline clinicians absorbed the brunt of the pandemic’s strain and were left with the resulting consequences of that trauma – anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Without adequate support to address these mental health issues, they may struggle to care for patients, leave the profession altogether, or worse, harm themselves.

This paper examines the extent of the mental health crisis among healthcare staff, including:

• The extent of the mental health crisis among healthcare staff
• The impact it can have on staffing levels and how a worsening labor shortage could impact patient care
• Guidance on how health system leaders can support the mental health of their staff to create a more emotionally healthy and resilient workforce