Gaps in Mental Health Care-Seeking Among Health Care Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic - United States, September 2022-May 2023.

Abstract

Health care workers experience substantial chronic stress, burnout, and mental distress, and the COVID-19 pandemic might have exacerbated these conditions. To identify ways to improve mental health care-seeking among this population, mental health symptoms, care-seeking, and self-reported barriers to seeking mental health care among U.S. health care providers during the pandemic were studied. During September 2022-May 2023, 2,603 primary care physicians, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants participated in a national Internet panel survey. Approximately one half (45.4%) of participants reported that they did not need mental health care, and only one in five (20.3%) had sought care. One quarter (25.6%) of providers reported mental distress severe enough to meet diagnostic criteria for psychopathology. Among these providers, only 38% reported seeking care; 20.1% indicated that they did not need care, despite severe symptoms. The average number of years in practice was lower for providers reporting care-seeking. Providers who identified as female were also more likely to report care-seeking. The most frequently reported barriers to care-seeking included difficulty getting time off from work, cost of care, and concerns about confidentiality. Increased pandemic-related work stressors were associated with increased symptom severity, but support from work supervisors mitigated these effects. Organizational human resources practices, supervisor training on managing employee stress, and public health messaging to normalize mental health care-seeking and its effects on licensing might help address gaps in provider care-seeking and improve patient outcomes.