Nearly three out of five health care workers reported that the state of their mental health worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to a new national survey by KPMG LLP.
In a poll of 1,000 workers conducted in April, 59% of health care employees said their mental health has suffered during the crisis, which is 8% higher when compared with other industries. However, the strain created by the pandemic has not negatively impacted their job performance: 66% of those polled said both their level of engagement with their supervisor/team and co-worker relationships have improved during this time, with 76% saying their team is collaborating better.
Furthermore, 70% of the workers report their quality of work has improved, although only 56% believed their level of productivity has improved, and 57% felt their level of engagement with their company”™s culture has improved.
When compared with the national averages of other industries in the KPMG survey, health care workers were less likely to be concerned about reduced pay (37% vs. 52%), losing their job (43% vs. 56%), being replaced in the workforce by technology (56% vs. 71%), and the overall future of their industry (44% vs. 62%).
“COVID-19 is a career defining event for many health care professionals, given the severity of the condition, the necessary protocols to prevent coronavirus from spreading and that many have families at home that are dealing with the effects of social distancing,” said Ashraf Shehata, national sector leader for health care and life sciences at KPMG LLP.
“Health care workers tend to band together when times are difficult and deliver upon the task at hand, which is providing the highest quality care to the best of their abilities. The best health care organizations pride themselves on creating a great place to work, because they realize that an appreciated worker is valuable to providing the best patient experience.”
