Mental health care staff that are employed in public sectors have limited to none interventions for burnout seen in their staff. However, private sectors are known to have more robust incentives and commitment to building a culture that supports health living. Private sectors promote benefit plans and programs that enhance the quality of life and allows for staff to have work life balance. Many of the benefits provided are tailored to promote healthy living.
- Variety of plans to choose from for medical insurance
- Dental
- Vision
- Wellness Incentives
- Assistance Program
- Generous Paid Time
- Paid Leave Benefits
- Parental Leave
- Smoking Cessation Program
In addition to the benefits listed about that many private sector organizations offer their employees, it was found that another big push and focus for staff in to have financial fitness.
Financial fitness is an additional support that allows the employee to have a concrete plan for their finances and their future. It is important to understand that financial stress leads to additional stressors and can affect the overall wellness of an individual. Many benefits that private sectors offer employees can be:
- 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
- Short- and Long-Term Disability
- Life Insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Health Savings Accounts
- Competitive Compensation
- On-site Financial Planning Assistance
How can innovation play a role in improving burnout in Mental Health care staff?
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning could create more personalized engagement for mental healthcare staff and patients, which in the future could lead to staff having additional time to spend if need be with patients, chart and do other duties without feeling rushed and overworked. Technology has been proven to be effective in healthcare and in a recent survey, it was found that consumers are becoming receptive of their personal information including medical records being on an online platform. However, mental health is still lacking full implementation of what technology has to offer and how it can enhance the overall care provided to patients (Collins et al., 2019). Having the evidence that supports that technology can enhance and improve the overall workflow, this should help organizations and policy makers in promoting policy driven changes to reduce and improve burnout reported in mental health care staff.
So, why is it important for organizations to see burnout as an ongoing detrimental concern for their organization, staff and patients?
In 2018, when the American Psychological Association analyzed multiple studies that looked at burnout in mental health services provided, its researchers found that “anywhere between 21% and 61% of mental health practitioners experience signs of burnout”. Also, a 2018 research review paper published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology 30 years of research on this topic, involving 9,000 psychotherapists. Over half of the therapist that were sampled reported “moderate-high levels of stress and burnout” (Collins et al., 2019).
References:
Collins, T., Mikkelsen, B., & Axelrod, S. (2019). Interact, engage or partner? Working with the private sector for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. Cardiovascular diagnosis and therapy, 9(2), 158–164. https://doi.org/10.21037/cdt.2018.08.04
Awareness for burnout in Mental Health Care workers 