Healthcare workers reported poorer work ability, greater emotional strain, higher rates of depression symptoms, and lower mental quality of life compared to non-healthcare workers, with around one-fifth of all respondents suffering from moderate to severe mental distress in 2023.
Healthcare workers reported poorer work ability compared to non-healthcare workers.
Healthcare workers described a work situation characterized by greater occupational stressors than non-healthcare workers.
Approximately one-fifth of all respondents suffered from moderate to severe mental distress.
Healthcare workers reported symptoms of depression more frequently and lower mental quality of life compared to non-healthcare workers.
The study concluded that prevention of high levels of mental stress should play a key role in maintaining and strengthening long-term mental health among employees in medical professions.
This research suggests that healthcare workers — including nurses, physicians, and therapists — experienced significantly worse mental health and working conditions compared to non-healthcare workers in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a 2023 survey of 576 employees from health and social care institutions, healthcare workers reported lower ability to work, more emotional strain, greater time pressure, and more conflict between work and personal life. They were also more likely to be thinking about changing jobs or leaving their profession entirely. The study also found that roughly one in five workers across all groups suffered from moderate to severe mental distress, and healthcare workers specifically reported more depression symptoms and a lower overall mental quality of life compared to their non-healthcare colleagues. The survey was conducted among a predominantly female workforce with an average age of 49 years. This research suggests that the pandemic left a lasting mark on the mental well-being of health and social care workers, and that targeted efforts to reduce mental stress in these workplaces may be important for keeping experienced workers in their roles and protecting their long-term health. Because the study was cross-sectional — meaning it captured a single point in time — it cannot definitively prove that pandemic working conditions caused these mental health outcomes, but it highlights a concerning pattern that warrants attention from employers and policymakers.
Peters C, Dulon M, Kersten J, Hartung C, Nienhaus A, Schablon A. (2026). Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on working conditions and mental health among employees in health and social services.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1899434