The landmark survey, funded under the WHO/Europe project with the European Commission – coinciding with World Mental Health Day – analyzed almost 100,000 responses from 29 countries, from October 2024 to April this year.
The main finding is that doctors and nurses work in conditions that harm their mental health and well-being, which also impacts patients.
“Ultimately, the mental health crisis among our health workers is a health security crisis, threatening the integrity of our health systemssaid Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Director for Europe.
Working conditions fueling anxiety and depression
The numbers reveal systemic problems. One in four doctors work more than 50 hours a week and a third are on temporary employment contracts – a situation strongly linked to growing concerns about job security.
Meanwhile, doctors and nurses show twice the prevalence of suicidal thoughts compared to the general population.
One in ten people said they had thought about “being better off dead” or “harming themselves” in the past two weeks, according to the WHO analysis.
Such dangerous work is directly linked to poor mental health.
For one in three doctors and nurses who experience violence, and for others who regularly work long hours, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts are common.
“We have chosen the path of humanity, but that does not mean we stop being human ourselves“, said Mélanie Debarreix, a radiology resident in France.
Despite these worrying numbers, three-quarters of all doctors and two in three nurses expressed a strong sense of purpose and meaning resulting from their work.
“Unbearable pressure”
The survey shows that 11 to 34 percent of health workers are considering quitting. This exposes patients to longer waiting times and reduced quality of care, WHO said.
A previous WHO/Europe report revealed that already in 2022, the recruitment of health and care workers was not keeping pace with growing demand, putting unbearable pressure on the entire system.
According to Dr Kluge, Europe is expected to have a shortage of 940,000 health workers by 2030.
“Their well-being is not just a moral obligation: it is the foundation of safe, high-quality care for every patient,” he said.
The report outlines concrete steps that can be taken to address the crisis, including zero tolerance for workplace violence, reforming working hours and ensuring access to high-quality mental health support.
