Burnout, anxiety and depression are very real issues for the care workforce – not just in this country but across the globe. This makes it a priority for care providers to take steps to make the workplace as supportive of mental health and wellbeing as possible.
A recent report by the World Innovation Summit for Health and WHO found that 23% to 46% of health and care workers reported symptoms of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. 20% to 37% experienced depressive symptoms.
The Covid pandemic placed particular strain on the care workforce. Many of us are looking at the prospect of another winter surge with concern.
Burnout
The UK care workforce is stretched, even without another spike of Covid cases. The record number of unfilled vacancies in the sector means that people are working at their limits (and sometimes beyond). A predominantly female workforce also tends to take on more of the childcare responsibility and many are often informal carers in their own time.
Burnout and severe psychological stress could be just one more unfortunate event away.
No care provider can magically sweep all these issues away. What they can do is make their organisation and the individuals within it better prepared and more able to cope.
Steps You can Take
Knowing how to spot the signs of deteriorating mental health and burnout in yourself and your colleagues will make a huge difference. As will techniques and strategies aimed at safeguarding and improving mental wellbeing.
Equipping your team with the understanding, knowledge and skills they need doesn’t have to be time consuming, disruptive or even add to the risk of burnout. Redcrier’s eBox e-learning platform has several modules covering mental health and wellbeing.
Online Courses include Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health First Aid, Mental Health Matters and Wellbeing. The training is highly interactive and, because it’s digital, can be taken when people find it most convenient.
To find out more and see it in action, book a demo of eBox e-learning.
