January 29, 2021

The Emotional Strain Of The Pandemic Is Taking Its Toll On Kansas Health Care Workers

Dr. Srijan Sen is quoted

The COVID-19 outbreak has worsened mental health among a group that already struggled with high rates of depression, anxiety and suicide. Read the entire article here

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Physicians have long had worse mental health than the general public, said Dr. Srijan Sen, a professor at the University of Michigan. High-pressure training, long hours and an increasing administrative workload have contributed to higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide among doctors, even before the pandemic.

Research suggests the pandemic has taken its toll, Sen said, especially now that early efforts to praise health care workers have faded.

“Fatigue has set in,” Sen said. “We’re seeing probably worse mental health among physicians than we’ve ever seen before.”

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