Healthcare professionals (HCPs) want to do their job to help during their pandemic, though they admit it is taking a toll on them. The vast majority of HCPs (92%) say that they have felt burnt out at some point because of their job and nearly 75% say that the pandemic has exacerbated their own and/or their colleagues’ sense of burnout, according to research conducted by Sermo.
Furthermore, over 40% of HCPs are concerned about the increased risk of contracting COVID-19 themselves or giving it to loved ones. Not only are they dealing with the exhaustion of treating a highly contagious and deadly virus, but they are also contending with longer hours, lack of proper personal protective equipment, and added financial stressors such as repaying student loans and pay cuts. Nearly half (48%) said they would take advantage of mental health resources if they were offered by their employer or other organization.
To help raise awareness about the struggles of HCPs and the resources available to help them, Outcome Health launched the Who Saves Me? campaign. The public service announcement-style campaign will air in both Spanish and English and is anticipated to touch an estimated two million or more viewers via social media, websites, and email communications directly to physicians and healthcare workers.
As part of the campaign, Outcome Health is also developing Who Saves Me? visual assets highlighting HCP personal stories and will provide HCPs with links to obtaining help and support. Those support resources include Mental Health America (MHA), the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit promoting overall mental health, and Black Mental Wellness, a virtual community dedicated to the mental health and wellness of black people of all ages.
“Outcome Health is committed to providing healthcare professionals with the resources and support they need so they can continue to care for us,” Matt McNally, Chief Executive Officer of Outcome Health, said in a press release. “As we kept hearing about mounting depression in the healthcare community, we knew we had to take action by creating Who Saves Me? and partnering with organizations like Sermo and Mental Health America that are able to reach and help physicians.”
Since the start of the pandemic, MHA has seen a 710% increase in people indicating signs of depression, and a 520% increase in anxiety screenings through their online screening tool. To date, more than six million people have taken free mental health screenings through www.mhascreening.org, reinforcing their mission to identify and intervene early in the disease process to avoid a point of crisis.
Outcome Health intends to carry the Who Saves Me? campaign through the end of the year and is seeking additional partner organizations that are interested in helping HCPs manage their mental health.
