TDNet Discover

Background: Anxiety and depression are among the most commonly diagnosed illnesses in the United States. Although healthcare providers such as Nurse Practitioners (NP), Physician Assistants (PA), and Physicians (MD/DO) are trained to medically diagnose and treat these disorders, this population is not excluded from developing anxiety or depression at some point in their lives. The stress of the job, long hours, and an unforeseen pandemic has led to an increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression among healthcare providers. Purpose: This research sought to supplement the lack of data regarding the prevalence of anxiolytic and antidepressant use among healthcare providers compared to the general population. While there are multiple studies investigating the prevalence of mental health disorders among healthcare providers, there is a lack of published data on the prevalence of pharmaceutical treatment for these healthcare providers as well as programs available to help healthcare providers cope with such demands of the job. Methods: An anonymous survey was developed in SurveyMonkey and disseminated to healthcare providers via social media platforms and email. A snowball sampling method was employed to assist with demographic diversity by encouraging participation from providers across the country. Participation in the study was voluntary with no personal identifiers collected. Results: A total of 410 qualified participants responded to the following data: 38% admitted to depression with 36.3% of those managing with antidepressants, with 57.05% starting after becoming a medical provider and/or during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of all participants, 32% admitted to seeking help with work-related stress/anxiety with 24% of those taking anxiolytics, with 71.28% beginning after becoming a medical provider and/or during the COVID-19 iv pandemic. Of the total participants, 98.05% worked in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 64.15% of those worked on the frontlines. Of those on the frontlines, 30% were diagnosed with anxiety and 37% were diagnosed with depression. Of the total participants, 67.4% stated the physical and emotional demands of working in healthcare have contributed to their anxiety or depression symptoms. The reported prevalence in the U.S. is 8.4% for depression, 19.1% for anxiety, and 13.2% for antidepressant use. Conclusion: Compared to general U.S. population statistics, the data obtained from this research revealed a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, and antidepressant use among the sampled population. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the prevalence of anxiety and depression among frontline healthcare providers. Due to this higher prevalence, employers should provide a specific focus on mental health and resources to aid their healthcare providers in identifying and addressing these concerns.