High substance use and dangerous mental health stigma among healthcare workers, according to a study Report Posted Thursday APN, an organization that provides addiction treatment to healthcare professionals, veterans and athletes. The report revealed surprising statistics about the behaviour of healthcare workers on and off the job – including one in seven doctors admitting to drinking or controlled substances at work.
APN surveyed 1,000 healthcare workers with research firm Censuswide in July. Respondents included physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, social workers, nutritionists, physical and occupational therapists, and medical technicians.
40% of respondents said they were anxious or scared about going to work, and 49% said they were either on the brink of collapse or were looking for a new job because of the stress and trauma they experienced at work. To cope with these feelings, 17% said they drink alcohol or controlled substances at least once a day.
Many of the challenges healthcare workers face during Covid and today – from burnout crises to staff shortages, from a lack of personal protective equipment disease early in the pandemic to increasing violence at the hands of patients today – have been documented and reported. Yet , according to APN CEO Noah Nordheimer, substance abuse among these workers is not getting the attention it deserves.
He noted that the problem won’t get better unless healthcare workers are willing to seek help. The report found that healthcare workers were reluctant to seek help for several key reasons – being overworked and running out of time, fear of being judged by colleagues or family members, and fear of having their licence revoked.
“Stigma and fear of losing their livelihoods keep them from getting help,” Nordheimer said. “What they don’t realize is that physician health plans in every state want to help them reach providers like APN and get them back on track. They want to support them, not punish them. We have to normalize treatment , normalize the recovery and get them back to work safely.” Physician’s Health Plan or Physician’s Behavioral Health Plan
The report also revealed that men feel the stigma of seeking mental health treatment more strongly — Male healthcare workers are three times less likely to admit to having a problem than their female counterparts. 58% of them A lower percentage of female healthcare workers (45%) said they were either on the brink of collapse or were looking for a new job because of work-related mental health issues.
Additionally, research shows that male healthcare workers are more than 5 times more likely to use their positions in healthcare to obtain controlled substances and 4.5 times more likely to consume alcohol or controlled substances while at work, compared to their female counterparts times.
According to Nordheimer, the most effective way to reduce the stigma around seeking mental health treatment is to view healthcare as including mental health.
“This stigma exists in every population group, not just healthcare workers,” he said. “We need a fundamental shift in our thinking about health. A person who is physically fit but struggling mentally is not ‘good’. Healthcare providers, companies and organisations can make a difference by educating and equipping the systems and people who may be affected Set the tone.”
Nordheimer also noted that the high levels of substance use seen among healthcare workers are not unique to the industry. Teachers, firefighters, executives and athletes are also not immune to mental health and substance use disorders, he said.
“We’re all at risk, but when we’re sick, injured, or in danger, and the people we rely on to save us, our antenna should be up and say, ‘We have a problem here,'” Nordheimer said. “We have to start taking better care of those who care about us.”
Photo: fizkes, Getty Images
