More physicians are turning to alcohol and substances to deal with unprecedented levels of stress, trauma and burnout at work––and some are even drinking on the job.
That’s according to a new study from APN that revealed shocking statistics about the state of mental health among American healthcare workers. The report, dubbed State of Mental Health: American Healthcare Workers Report, found 1 in 7, or 14% of physicians admitted to consuming alcohol or controlled substances while at work. Another 21% said they consume alcohol or controlled substances multiple times per day, while 17% said they consume it at least once per day.
The findings come as the healthcare industry has been squeezed over the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with healthcare workers facing more pressures than ever after facing a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, resource shortages, a labor crunch and high rates of inflation. The impact of the pandemic has led many workers to leave the healthcare industry altogether, and the mental health struggles have worsened for those who remain.
The report, which was conducted online with Censuswide, also found 40% of healthcare workers feel anxiety or dread about going to work. Almost half (49%) said they are at their breaking point or looking for new work due to the stress and trauma they endure on the job.
Among physicians, the added mental health struggles are leading to more substance issues. Unfortunately, patient care is likely to be impacted due to drinking or using substances on the job and as a result of the overall health of physicians. Previous studies have revealed that burnout can lead to worse patient outcomes, and the issue has been long-standing across the industry.
“The well-being and mental health of healthcare workers has been dramatically impacted by the pandemic, with many of them seeing more pain and death than ever before,” Noah Nordheimer, founder & CEO of APN, said in a statement. “This frequency and intensity of exposure is causing an unprecedented amount of trauma and stress, leading to high levels of burnout. The behavioral healthcare industry has been slow to innovate to meet the growing need for mental healthcare, oftentimes treating it as an accessory to healthcare. We must put mental health on par with physical health and make it a basic human right, indicator of overall health and an industry standard.”
Physicians are struggling the most among healthcare workers, according to the data, and 20% of respondents said they have checked into a rehab or detox facility in the last three months, though 14% don’t want to admit they have a problem. For physicians who won’t seek help, there are a few reasons why, including being too overworked (32%), concern that family and friends will judge them (23%), fear of having their license revoked (23%) and not knowing where to begin or how to navigate the system (20%).
The stigma of seeking help for mental health also impacts men more than women, and men are five times more likely to use their position in healthcare to acquire controlled substances than women––21% of males compared to 4% of females. From overall sentiment, men are also more impacted, with 58% of male healthcare workers reporting they are either at their breaking point or looking for a new job due to dress, burnout and trauma, compared to 45% of women. Men are also 4.5 times more likely to consume alcohol or controlled substances while at work compared to female counterparts and 2.5 times more likely to consume alcohol or controlled substances up to 12 hours before their shift.
Overall, healthcare workers are also being impacted by the current political environment influencing the healthcare industry, as 64% said the overturning of Roe v. Wade either increased their stress levels of made them feel betrayed by the country they work so hard to keep healthy.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."