Health Care Professional Distress and Mental Health: A Call to the Continuing Professional Development Community
Mary G Turco1, Sanjeev Sockalingam, Betsy Williams
1Dr. Turco: Associate Professor of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Principal for Scholarship Enhancement and Academic Professional Development, Department of Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH. Dr. Sockalingam: Chief Medical Officer, VP Education and Senior Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Professor and Vice-Chair, Education, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Williams: Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Kansas School of Medicine, and Clinical Director, Professional Renewal Center®, Director of Continuing Education, Wales Behavioral Assessment, Lawrence, KS.
The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions
|January 18, 2024
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant distress, moral injury, and burnout in health care professionals due to numerous stressors. Continuing professional development must prioritize clinician well-being and mental health, integrating a biopsychosocial approach.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Public Health
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented stressors for healthcare professionals, including personal safety concerns, resource limitations, and staffing shortages.
- Systemic issues like racial inequality and discrimination exacerbated healthcare access problems for marginalized groups, intensifying professional distress.
- Many healthcare professionals experienced severe moral injury and burnout, impacting their ability to uphold professional values and leading some to leave the profession or worse.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical need for continuing professional development (CPD) leaders to address the profound mental health challenges faced by healthcare professionals.
- To advocate for the integration of wellness and mental health as core principles within CPD initiatives.
- To promote a new mental model in CPD that embraces a biopsychosocial perspective, recognizing the holistic well-being of learners.
Main Methods:
- The abstract does not detail specific methods but emphasizes a call to action for CPD leaders.
- It advocates for adopting a biopsychosocial framework in developing CPD activities.
- It stresses the importance of demonstrating commitment to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's aims regarding clinician well-being and health equity.
Main Results:
- The pandemic significantly increased distress, moral injury, and burnout among healthcare professionals.
- Existing systemic inequalities in healthcare access were amplified, contributing to professional distress.
- A portion of the healthcare workforce experienced severe psychological impacts, with some leaving or succumbing to the pressures.
Conclusions:
- Continuing professional development leaders must proactively address the mental health and well-being of healthcare professionals.
- CPD programs should embed wellness and a biopsychosocial approach into their core structure and activities.
- It is imperative for global CPD leaders to leverage resources and collaborations to support clinician well-being and advance health equity.
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