Caring for others has health benefits. But the way Americans do it is all wrong

In November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a campaign to curb burnout among health care workers.a program called impact wellbeingis the first federal campaign of its kind to provide hospitals with what the CDC calls evidence-based solutions to reduce health care worker burnout. The campaign comes in the wake of other reports suggesting that the mental health crisis in the U.S. medical community is only worsening. CDC Data shows that just recently, health care workers reported an increase in days of poor mental health in the past month. Additionally, the proportion of healthcare workers who reported feeling burnt out “very often” increased.

The pandemic has exacerbated the challenges faced by healthcare workers, leading to unprecedented levels of burnout. Even before that, a myriad of factors had added up to cause health care workers to suffer mentally and emotionally. Health workers say the campaign is a start, but the solution and its impact are more complex than what the federal government's campaign can offer. Part of the reason is that they're not engaging with what made them become healthcare professionals in the first place: helping others.

Although previous research has shown that caregiving has positive health effects, the narrative around caregiving in America is one of exhaustion, impossibility, and rage. What healthcare workers are experiencing is a microcosm of that.

In October, Research published in JAMA Researchers found that health care workers (nurses, physicians, other medical diagnostic and treatment workers, medical technicians, health support workers, and behavioral health workers) work in non-medical professions. found an increased risk of death by suicide compared to people. Much nursing practice revolves around Gene Watson's theory of care. This theory states that “the centrality of human care, the transpersonal relationship from caregiver to cared for, and its therapeutic potential for both caregiver and cared for are important.” It is being ”

Care in this context is a mutually beneficial experience for both nurse and patient. Compassion is energizing and a catalyst for personal growth. However, the inability of nurses in particular to perform their jobs is causing what many in the profession prefer to call “mental distress'' rather than “burnout.''

“The basic definition of emotional distress is when you know what to do,” Gerald Brogan, a nurse and nursing practice director, told Salon. “But constraints beyond your control prevent that from happening.”

2014, National Public Opinion Research Center found We found that 83% of non-professional caregivers considered their work a 'positive experience'. It gave them a sense of giving back to those who cared for them.According to scientific research, caregivers Live long. for example, American Journal of Preventive Medicine They found that people who volunteered at least 100 hours a year had a reduced risk of death over a four-year follow-up period compared to those who did not volunteer. Another study in 2013 found that: Volunteers can lower blood pressure.

“Any nurse who's been in this job for any length of time knows it's a very rewarding profession,” Jean Ross, a nurse and president of National Nurses United (NNU), told Salon. , adding that he has seen significant decline during his 45-year career. This has led to endemic moral distress in the industry. In the past, she says, she often relied on nurses to listen and support her at work. “Everything is now designed to conform to some kind of efficiency professional model, which means you don't want to have too many staff or have too many supplies on hand. Look what happened.”

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In fact, part of the problem is that caregiving is undervalued, underappreciated, and forced to take place in total isolation.Presumed to be a medical worker 53 million Americans They provide unpaid care for family members with little structural support in America. This inherently makes caregiving more burdensome and stressful. Brogan said it's like health care workers and management have “different priorities,” especially when it comes to nursing.

During the pandemic, molecular biologist Steve Cole wanted to simulate how isolation affects antiviral immunity and how caregiving could be an antidote. To find the answer, researchers moved 21 adult male rhesus macaques into cages isolated from the community for two weeks. When the monkeys were evacuated in place, the number of circulating immune cells decreased by 30-50%, which appeared in blood samples within 48 hours of isolation and persisted for two weeks. The increased immunity did not resolve until the monkeys returned to their respective communities four weeks later.

However, there were exceptions. When some monkeys were given the opportunity to isolate and care for young monkeys, they had a stronger immune response than those who were completely isolated. Cole said the study showed the potential health benefits of caregiving and how it can give people a sense of purpose and meaning. But the way things are done in America is “very stressful.”

“The way our society works now is that you're more or less responsible for this person 24/7,” he says. “A sustainable version of caregiving is one in which caregivers provide care for part of their lives and then have time to rest and recover.”

Ross said measures aimed at containing the health-care worker crisis, such as adding “zen rooms” for health-care workers in hospitals, are not helping. What they need are tools and support to care for their patients.

“What they give us is of no use to us,” Ross said. “You're having a tough time. We don't have enough nurses to take care of the patients. Should we take a break and go to the Zen room?”

Brogan said she became a nurse when she was 19 years old. He was an idealist and wanted work that felt meaningful to him. He had never seen nurses suffering such “moral injury” in years.

“I talk to nurses all day every day, and I've never seen so much dissatisfaction with their employers,” Brogan said. “As an aside, I hear people saying, 'I can't do this anymore.'”