Polish healthcare workers facing mental health crisis, reveals new report

A new report on the mental health of Polish medical professionals and students presents deeply concerning findings, with almost seven out of ten showing signs of psychological distress.  

The Polki w Medycynie (Women in Medicine) Foundation has published the largest study to date in a report on the Mental Health of Polish Medical Professionals.

The study aimed to assess the scale of the issue, understand its causes, and draw public and policymaker attention to the urgent need for systemic solutions that support the psychological well-being of healthcare workers.

“Psychological support, including access to Balint groups, must be available to medical professionals during their working hours,” Dr Małgorzata Osmola, President of Polki w Medycynie, told Euractiv.

Disturbing findings on mental well-being

The survey, conducted in July and August 2024, gathered responses from over 2,000 healthcare workers, including nearly 500 nurses, 112 midwives, and more than 170 paramedics, physiotherapists, radiologists, and pharmacists. The majority of respondents – 90.3% – were women.

Using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), which assesses psychological distress without focusing on specific disorders, participants answered 20 yes-or-no questions, with each affirmative response scoring one point.

“Obtaining a score of eight or more may indicate psychological distress and the need to seek professional help. Participants were informed about this during the survey,” the report states.

The study found that nearly 69% of respondents showed signs of mental health struggles. Among women, 70% had concerning scores, while 62.7% of men also indicated psychological distress.

A staggering 78% of women and 66% of men reported persistent exhaustion.

Additionally, 74.3% of respondents admitted to feeling consistently unhappy or sad, and nearly 59% reported worsened sleep quality.

More than half said they no longer found joy in daily activities, while 46.7% expressed feelings of worthlessness.

Perhaps most alarmingly, 15.3%—equivalent to 331 respondents—disclosed having suicidal thoughts within the past 30 days.

Among the primary stressors identified were verbal abuse, sexism, infantilisation, and an overwhelming imbalance between work and personal life.

Breaking the silence

“This issue remains taboo within the medical community,” Dr Jagoda Hofman-Hutna, a member of Polki w Medycynie and study coordinator, told Euractiv. She explained that while healthcare professionals recognise the gravity of mental health struggles in their field, they often remain silent due to stigma and fear of losing patients’ trust.

“Our goal was to bring this conversation into the public sphere and spark discussions about viable solutions,” she said.

She acknowledged that systemic changes, such as reducing workloads, are unlikely in the near future. “As our findings indicate, excessive work demands and a lack of work-life balance are the primary causes of mental health crises among medical staff,” she added.

Above all, she stressed the need for a shift in perception. “We must convince both society and ourselves that we are only human, and mental health struggles are not foreign to us,” she said.

Addressing the Crisis

In response to the report’s findings, Polki w Medycynie is advocating for fundamental changes to support the mental well-being of healthcare professionals. The foundation proposes free psychological support for hospital staff, ensuring every hospital employs a dedicated psychologist.

They say psychological services should be available to primary care providers, extending mental health support beyond hospital settings. Supervision should not be limited to psychiatrists but should be extended to all medical professionals, offering structured psychological support to those facing daily pressures.

The foundation also emphasises the need for education and training. Workshops on communication skills, both with patients and within medical teams, as well as stress management techniques, should be introduced early in medical education.

Many mental health challenges begin during medical training, making early intervention critical. By embedding psychological resilience training within the medical curriculum, future healthcare professionals can develop essential coping strategies.

Ultimately, Polki w Medycynie hopes that improving mental health among healthcare workers will lead to both enhanced well-being of medical professionals and improve patient care.

A stable and mentally healthy workforce, they say, is fundamental to the proper functioning of the healthcare system, ensuring that those who dedicate their lives to caring for others receive the support they need.

[Edited by Vasiliki Angouridi, Brian Maguire]