Distress Profiles and Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Diverse Healthcare Workers Participating in a Mental Health Screening Program
AI Summary
AAPI, Hispanic/Latino, and multiracial healthcare workers showed higher rates of depression, suicide risk, and loneliness compared with other racial and ethnic cohorts.
Participants who preferred not to disclose race or ethnicity exhibited elevated burnout, loneliness, and hopelessness relative to disclosed groups.
Findings emphasise the need for recognising disparities and prioritising inclusive, accessible mental healthcare resources, policies, and institutional support for a diverse workforce.
OBJECTIVES: Beyond the universal emotional and mental health challenges faced by all healthcare workers, individuals identifying with certain racial and ethnic groups face amplified stressors and barriers. This study examined distress profiles and help-seeking behaviors among diverse healthcare workers who voluntarily completed a mental health screening at one large, academic medical center.
METHODS: Between May 1, 2009, and March 27, 2025, 6,237 healthcare students, trainees, staff and faculty at the University of California San Diego Health System participated in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Interactive Screening Program (ISP). Data from the ISP was used to compare burnout, depression, intense affective states, suicide risk factors, mental health treatment, perceived stigma regarding help-seeking, and attitudes towards institutional support among different racial and ethnic cohorts.
RESULTS: A disproportionate burden of psychological distress such as depression, suicide risk, and loneliness was revealed among Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), Hispanic/Latino individuals, and multiracial-identifying individuals. Individuals who preferred not to disclose their racial/ethnic identity were found to exhibit higher levels of burnout, loneliness, and hopelessness.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the importance of recognizing racial and ethnic disparities in mental health and access to mental healthcare for a diverse workforce, and the need to prioritize inclusive, accessible, and effective resources and policies.
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