MHM Magazine

38 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 2022 | Issue 6 MHM As an ICU nurse working in Johannesburg, thirty-seven-year-old Priya Naidoo leads a busy life that leaves no time for self-care. This wife and mother of two children is always between a flurry of activities - from taking care of critically ill patients and attending meetings to running a household, doing school runs and preparing meals at home. This leaves no time for adequate rest or relaxation. As a healthcare worker, her life is focused on putting others first, often neglecting herself. As a result, she has suffered from burnout consistently over the years. As a healthcare worker people are reliant on you for their physical and mental well-being which often leaves little time for yourself. More and more healthcare workers are finding themselves suffering from burnout, which is a systemic condition that affects every element of life - body, mind, spirit, emotions, and relationships. During the COVID-19 pandemic, from April 2022 to August 2022, the Healthcare Workers Care Network in South Africa, conducted a total of 775 individual therapy sessions for healthcare workers who reached out for help after suffering burnout. The care network recorded that 447 healthcare workers requested help online, of which 60-percent were in Gauteng. 279 of them have started sessions. During this time, the telephonic helpline received more than 4000 calls, indicating the extent of strain placed on South Africans working in this sector. Healthcare workers who made contact online: Allied Health (physiotherapists, dieticians) 117 Doctors 137 Nurses 148 Support Staff 89 TOTAL 491 Contributions by Dr Antoinette Miric, Psychiatrist And Judy Klipin, life coach and author of Recover from Burnout BURNOUT AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS: PREVALENCE, IMPACT AND SOLUTIONS