The historic survey, funded within the framework of 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 of this year.
The key finding is that doctors and nurses work in conditions that harm their mental health and well-being, which also affects patients.
“Ultimately, the mental health crisis among our healthcare workers is a health security crisis that threatens the integrity of our health systems”said Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO director for Europe.
Working conditions that fuel anxiety and depression
The figures reveal systemic problems. One in four doctors works more than 50 hours a week and a third have temporary employment contracts, a situation strongly linked to greater anxiety about job security.
Meanwhile, doctors and nurses show twice the prevalence of suicidal thoughts compared to the general population.
One in 10 said they had thought about being “better off dead” or “harming themselves” in the past two weeks, WHO analysis shows.
This type of insecure work is directly linked to poor mental health.
For the one in three doctors and nurses who experience violence, and the rest who consistently work long hours, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts are common.
“We choose a path of humanity, but that does not mean we stop being human ourselves.”said Mélanie Debarreix, a radiology resident from France.
Despite the 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 between 11 and 34 percent of healthcare workers are considering quitting smoking. This puts patients at risk of experiencing longer waiting times and reduced quality of care, the WHO said.
A previous WHO/Europe report found that as early as 2022, the recruitment of health and care workers was not keeping pace with growing demand, putting unbearable pressure on the overall system.
According to Dr Kluge, Europe is expected to have a shortage of 940,000 healthcare workers by 2030.
“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 actionable measures that can be taken to address the crisis, including zero tolerance for violence in the workplace, reforming shift patterns and ensuring access to high-quality mental health support.
