(WKBN) – The pandemic has been difficult for healthcare workers and many are feeling exhausted from the long working hours.
“We really hear from a lot of people who are really, really struggling,” said Marcy Patton, director of the Columbiana County Council for Mental Health and Recovery. “A chronic state of fatigue, exhaustion and stress due to chronic stress at work.”
Now the Biden administration is awarding $4.2 million to reduce burnout and promote mental health, especially in the healthcare workforce.
The money will help fund evidence-based programs, with a focus on providers in underserved and rural communities.
“My friends who work in the field who say, ‘You don’t even understand. Unless you work in a hospital, you don’t understand what we’re going through right now. It has definitely been a time of heightened stress for them,” said Lauren Thorp, deputy director of the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Council.
Both directors mentioned that most people are unaware of the mental health resources available to them. They both hope these funds can help change that.
“I think a lot of times when you’re going through burnout or going through times of stress, you don’t even know what’s out there and what’s available,” Thorp said.
“Anything we can do to help people get through this and have other coping skills,” Patton said.
Self-care is increasingly important with burnout, but there are many ways to help yourself.
“For some people, self-care is yoga, it’s exercise. For some people it’s just about saying no,” Thorp said.
The funds will also support strategies for academic institutions to help reduce burnout.
