A study published Friday, October 10 by the European branch of the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals a severe mental health crisis among healthcare professionals, finding that one in three doctors and nurses in Europe report suffering from depression or anxiety.This rate is five times higher than that of the general European population.

 

 

 

 

WHO Europe director Hans Kluge called the findings a “health security crisis, threatening the integrity of our health systems.”

 

 

He noted the severity of the distress, stating, “More than one in 10 have thought about ending their lives or hurting themselves. This is an unacceptable burden on those who care for us.” Doctors and nurses show double the prevalence of suicidal thoughts compared to the general population.

 

 

The study, based on 90,000 responses from health workers across 29 European countries, found that poor mental health is directly linked to working conditions. Healthcare workers who experience violence, consistently long hours, and night shifts are significantly more likely to be depressed and anxious.

 

 

Unsafe environments are rampant; a third of doctors and nurses reported experiencing bullying or violent threats at work in the past year, and ten percent reported physical violence or sexual harassment.

 

 

 

 

Furthermore, work pressure is extreme: one in four doctors works more than 50 hours per week, and the high proportion of doctors (over 30%) and nurses (a quarter) on temporary employment contracts is linked to increased anxiety about job security.

 

 

The findings also indicated that nurses and women doctors are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, while men doctors are more likely to develop alcohol addiction.

 

 

Geographically, health workers in Latvia and Poland reported the highest levels of depression, with almost half of respondents, while Denmark and Iceland reported the lowest, at around 15 percent.

 

 

The report called for urgent systemic reforms, including zero tolerance for violence and harassment in healthcare settings, a reform to end the culture of overtime and long working hours, and guaranteed access to mental health services for professionals.

 

 

Kluge stressed the urgency of these measures, given the impending staff shortage: “With Europe facing a shortage of nearly one million health workers by 2030, we cannot afford to lose them to burnout, despair, or violence.”