A diagnosis that confirms all the cries of alarm: according to a large study carried out in the summer of 2021 and revealed on Thursday June 8 by the Ministry of Health, hospital workers are significantly more exposed to “symptoms of depression and anxiety” than the rest of the employees. An “increased prevalence” that is “linked to difficult working conditions” unique to the hospital, including “unusual work overloads”, “incentives to not take or postpone sick leave”, and “difficulties in balancing personal and professional life”.
If the so-called “severe” cases are not more numerous, on the other hand the “mild to moderate” disorders are “significantly more frequent”, of the order of 38% for depression (fatigue, loss of appetite, difficulty concentrating …) and 28% for anxiety (nervousness, worry, irritability…), against 30% and 22% respectively for “all people in employment”.
To a lesser extent, the poor mental health of hospital workers also stems from the “high proportion of women”, who make up more than three-quarters of the workforce and are more often prone to anxiety and depressive disorders, according to the study.
