Unresolved mental health trauma: The languishing of public safety and public health professionals.

Abstract

The collective awareness and acknowledgment of mental health challenges affecting all of us across our society is a trend that can inform targeted future interventions. Mental health conditions have only worsened during the past three years, secondary to the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. In the workplace, 67 percent of those surveyed reported at least one mental health symptom over the past year, demonstrating an increase from 59 percent in 2019.1 Recent findings approximate that first responders have a higher incidence (>30 percent) of developing mental health conditions, including depression, suicidal ideation, alcohol/drug abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as compared with 20 percent in the general population.2 A 2021 survey of more than 26,000 members of the public health workforce highlighted that 53 percent of respondents reported mental health symptoms, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.3 A repeat survey in 2022 showed similar troubling trends.4 The hospital-based workforce has found increased mental health concerns as well, with employees leaving these professional settings to get a better hold on their mental health and support their work-life balance.