WISH: BRAZIL'S HEALTHCARE WORKERS MORE LIKELY THAN GLOBAL COUNTERPARTS TO SUFFER FROM POOR MENTAL HEALTH

WISH survey shows more than three quarters of Brazil's healthcare workforce admit COVID-19 has undermined their mental wellbeing

DOHA, Qatar, Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Declining levels of mental health, in addition to increased workplace abuse since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, are negatively impacting the ability of healthcare professionals in Brazil to deliver high-quality patient care, an international survey has shown.

78 percent of Brazil's healthcare practitioners felt that their mental health has suffered working through the COVID-19 pandemic – much higher than their peers in the US (49 percent), Nigeria (57 percent), the UK (59 percent), India (65 percent) and Saudi Arabia (70 percent). The study by YouGov, on behalf of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), revealed that more than half (53 percent) agreed that this has also adversely impacted their ability to provide a high standard of care.

Furthermore, the study found healthcare workers in Brazil (52 percent) to be the most likely to experience more verbal or physical abuse in their roles since the start of the ongoing pandemic – similar to their Saudi counterparts (52 percent) and in contrast to peers in the US (40 percent) and the UK (43 percent).

Summarizing this, when reflecting on the biggest changes to their work since the arrival of COVID-19, Brazil's healthcare workers were also in majority (39 percent) - like their US counterparts (39 percent) - to state that their colleagues had been under more pressure than normal during the pandemic.

"Countries like Brazil that are grappling with issues such as unemployment, social and economic disparities, amongst others, face an enormous challenge when it comes to safeguarding the health and safety of their communities, particularly during major health crises. Our findings underscore the critical need for more nations, international organizations, and global health activists to develop support programs specifically targeted towards caring for the mental wellbeing of health and care workers globally, that in turn enable them to continue saving lives," said Sultana Afdhal, CEO of WISH.

The survey, which included healthcare professionals from the UK, US, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, India, and Brazil, aimed to gain insights into the impacts of dealing with COVID-19 on healthcare workers' lives, shine a light on their experiences, as well as explore what the future of healthcare might look like according to those serving on the frontline of care delivery.

WISH, a global health initiative of Qatar Foundation, is a global platform which gathers healthcare experts, policymakers, and innovators to unite in the goal of building a healthier world. The biennial WISH Summit, taking place October 4 – 6 in Doha, Qatar and virtually, aims to showcase WISH's evidence-based research and discuss how to translate these findings into practical, policy-driven solutions that help transform global healthcare delivery.

The sixth edition of the summit will run under the banner of "Healing the Future." The summit will thoroughly explore the legacy of COVID-19 from various perspectives, including how to build more resilient and sustainable healthcare systems, improve our response to the mental health crisis faced by health and care workers, and harness the rapid progress in pharmaceutical innovation that has taken place during the pandemic.

For more information on WISH, visit www.wish.org.qa.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1902072/WISH_QF_Logo.jpg