Burnout and Mental Health in the Workplace
Once associated with unresolvable job-related stress, burnout quickly became a household name after 2020. Burnout is “a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.” Many of us are no strangers to times of stress and anxiety. Still, the pandemic brought overwhelming, unpredictable events and disrupted work, education, healthcare, the economy, relationships, and many other aspects of life. In a matter of weeks, the unemployment rate rivaled that of the Great Depression, and many faced a multitude of insecurities in their everyday lives. Due to the upheaval of everyday life, burnout left many feeling like they were burning a candle at both ends.
Frontline workers, essential workers, and caregivers who have worked throughout the pandemic and suffered from resource and staff shortages were at a higher risk for burnout. Professions like these face a unique chance for a different kind of burnout: compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue can include “emotional, physical, and spiritual distress in those providing care to another,” especially when those in their care are experiencing significant emotional or physical pain and suffering. The primary difference between compassion fatigue and types of burnout seen in other occupations is the presence or continued exposure to trauma.
Access to mental health care was a concern before the pandemic. After the pandemic, new and existing barriers to accessing these services were exacerbated. The mental health care system is (and was) failing to meet people’s needs. The impact of the pandemic placed more pressure on an already strained mental health care system. Due to shortages in areas, such as mental health professionals, psychiatric hospital beds, a lack of in-network options, inability to afford mental health care or healthcare coverage, or denial of insurance coverage, it is time to start looking for more upstream approaches to dealing with mental health. Since individuals spend about one-third of their lives at work, we can begin by focusing on transforming the workplace.
Nationwide, about 1 in 5 adults live with a mental health condition, 91 percent of employees report that job-related stress hurts the work, and 42 percent of employees left a job due to burnout. Many employees don’t feel comfortable disclosing mental health conditions due to fear of losing a job or promotion, worry about judgment or stigma, being misunderstood, not wanting to be seen as receiving special treatment, or harassment or bullying from others. Mental health conditions significantly affect workplace productivity; 27 workdays are lost each year due to sick days, costing about $105 billion per year in lost productivity in the workplace.
Employers have an opportunity to openly address mental health in the workplace that can go beyond mental health services. The resource cards below include some promising practices that employers adopt to reduce or prevent burnout.
Creating a Stigma-Free Workplace Is Key to Tackling the Mental Health Crisis
Story - Written
Brought to you by Kaiser Permanente
Mental Health First Aid at Work
Tool - Workshop/training
Brought to you by National Council for Mental Wellbeing
How to Create an Employee Resource Group for Mental Health
Tool - Toolkit/toolbox
Brought to you by Mind Share Partners
Job Burnout and Engagement Among Teachers
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine
Research: People Want Their Employers to Talk about Mental Health
Story - Written
Brought to you by HBR
Supporting Minority Mental Health in the Workplace
Story - Written
Brought to you by National Council for Mental Wellbeing
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These Businesses Embrace Their Role in Well-Being
Story
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Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Written by: Danielle Castilleja, MPH. Danielle is a second-year MPH Community and Behavioral Health student at the Colorado School of Public Health. She recently completed an internship with Community Commons.
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