Europe’s Health Workers Face Deepening Mental Health Crisis

A nurse on shift in a hospital in Europe

One in ten doctors and nurses in Europe experience suicidal thoughts, according to a new survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe.

The landmark survey, funded under the WHO/Europe project with the European Commission and coinciding with World Mental Health Day, analysed nearly 100,000 responses from 29 countries between October 2024 and April this year.

The key finding reveals that doctors and nurses are working under conditions that damage their mental health and well-being — with a direct impact on patients.

“Ultimately, the mental health crisis among our health workers is a health security crisis, threatening the integrity of our health systems,” said Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO’s Europe Director.

The data exposes systemic problems. One in four doctors work more than 50 hours a week, while a third are employed on temporary contracts — a situation strongly linked to heightened anxiety over job security.

Meanwhile, doctors and nurses show double the prevalence of suicidal thoughts compared with the general population.

One in ten respondents reported having thoughts of being “better off dead” or “hurting themselves” in the past two weeks, the WHO analysis shows.

Such unsafe working conditions are directly associated with poor mental health outcomes.

Among those facing workplace violence — one in three doctors and nurses — and those working consistently long hours, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts are common.

“We chose a path of humanity, but that does not mean we stop being human ourselves,” said Mélanie Debarreix, a radiology resident from France.

Despite the alarming statistics, three-quarters of all doctors and two out of three nurses said they still find strong purpose and meaning in their work.

The survey found that between 11 and 34 per cent of health workers are considering quitting their jobs. WHO warned that this could lead to longer patient wait times and reduced quality of care.

A previous WHO/Europe report showed that even in 2022, the recruitment of health and care workers was not keeping pace with growing demand, putting unbearable pressure on the healthcare system.

Europe is projected to face a shortage of 940,000 health workers by 2030, according to Dr Kluge.

“Their well-being is not only a moral obligation — it is the foundation of safe, high-quality care for every patient,” he said.

The report outlines several actionable steps to address the crisis, including enforcing zero-tolerance policies for workplace violence, reforming shift patterns, and ensuring access to high-quality mental health support.