Health Care Workers Feeling Burn Out: Hospitals Addressing Mental Health Concerns

For frontline health care workers battling COVID-19 the hospital can feel like a war room.

It turns out it’s having the same effect on health care workers as soldiers.

Dan Grossman shows us the situation that's playing out at hospitals across the country.

ALONGSIDE THE SONIC.FOR FRONTLINE HEALTH CAREWORKERS BATTLING COVID... THEHOSPITAL CAN FEEL LIKEA WAR ROOM.IT TURNS OUT.

IT'S HAVING THESAME EFFECT ON HEALTH CAREWORKERS ASSOLDIERS.DAN GROSSMAN SHOWS US THESITUATION THAT'S PLAYING OUT ATHOSPITALS ACROSS THECOUNTRY.SIMILAR TO THE ENEMY THAT CANNOTBE SEEN..

NAT THE EFFECTS OFCOVID-19 ON THOSE FIGHTING IT..LIEUNDER THE SURFACE.

23:23 "THEMENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS TEND TOPEAK ABOUT 12 MONTHS AFTERTHE ACTUAL EVENT" DR. CHRISTHURSTONE IS THE DIRECTOR OFBEHAVIOR HEALTH AT DENVER'SLARGEST HOSPITAL.

HE SAYS FORFRONTLINE WORKERS..

THEIR MENTALHEALTH IS FACING ANUNPRECEDENTEDCHALLENGE.

16:44 "THEY DESCRIBEIT AS THIS DIFFERENT OF BURNOUTTHAN THEY'VE FELT BEFORE"STAND UPA FEW MONTHS BEFORECOVID HIT- THE HOSPITALIMPLEMENTED A PROGRAM DEVELOPEDATJOHNS HOPKINS CALLED RISE-RESILIENCE IN STRESSFULEVENTS.THE DROP IN CENTER ATDENVERHEALTH SAW AROUND 30 HOSPITALEMPLOYEES A DAY WHEN IT OPENED-NOW IT'S SEEING MORE THAN 3004:24"WE'RE CERTAINLY SEEINGINCREASED RATES OF PEOPLE WHOARE STRUGGLING AND HAVING ADIFFICULT TIME." THOM DUNN IS ACLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND SAYIT'S NOT JUST SOMETHINGHOSPITALS ARESEEING IN OUR COUNTRY, BUTGLOBALLY GRAPHICRESEARCHES INWUHAN FOUND 30 TO 50PERCENT OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERSWERE IN A BURNOUT STAGE BEFORECOVID- NOW THAT NUMBER ISUP TO 75-PERCENT 24:36"DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, INSOMNIA,SUBSTANCE USE: THOSE ARE THEFOURTHINGS WE WATCH OUT FOR."BUTTWITH 24:15 "AS THINGS START TOSETTLE DOWN AND PEOPLEACTUALLY GET A CHANCE TOBREATHE, AND THINK, AND BETHEMSELVES AGAIN, THEY MIGHTNOTICE THATTHEY'RE NOT COMPLETELYTHEMSELVES." AT DENVER HEALTH-CALLS INTO THE CENTER HAVEINCREASED TENFOLD AS WELL-PROVING THAT ONCE COVID BECOMESMANAGEABLE- ANOTHER EPIDEMIC MAYSOON STARTTO EMERGE 23:36 "WE CAN'T JUSTGET THROUGH COVID AND THENPRETEND NOTHING HAPPENED."BUTTWITH 20:56 "THIS IS PLACING ASTRESS AND STRAIN ON EVERY HUMANBEING, AND HEALTHCARE WORKERSARE HUMAN BEINGS AND NOEXCEPTION." I'M DAN GROSSMANREPORTIN