A survey by the World Health Organization/Europe revealed a deterioration in mental health among healthcare workers, with one third of doctors and nurses suffering from depression and 10% considering suicide. The report warns that if the situation continues, Europe could lose around one million healthcare workers by 2030.

The survey results on the mental health of doctors and nurses, released by WHO/Europe on the occasion of World Mental Health Day on October 10, 2025, show a deteriorating mental health situation among healthcare workers in the European health sector.

This is the largest survey of its kind, analyzing over 90,000 responses from all European Union countries, as well as Iceland and Norway.

Results showed that one in three doctors and nurses experienced bullying or threats of violence, while 10% faced physical violence or sexual harassment in the past year. About 25% of doctors work more than 50 hours per week, and around one third of doctors and one quarter of nurses are on temporary contracts, increasing job security concerns.

One in ten doctors and nurses reported having thoughts such as “wishing to die” or “self-harm” in the past two weeks, known scientifically as “negative suicidal ideation,” which is an early indicator of potential future suicidal behavior.

Data shows that unsafe work environments, long working hours, and reliance on night shifts are directly linked to increased rates of depression and anxiety. The prevalence of suicidal thoughts among healthcare workers is twice as high as in the general population.

Despite these pressures, 75% of doctors and 66% of nurses expressed a strong sense of purpose and meaning in their work. However, many workers indicate that physical and mental exhaustion sometimes leads to medical errors.

Melanie Deparc, a radiology resident from France, said: “We are physically and mentally exhausted, and these conditions affect our health and wellbeing. Work hour laws, rest periods after night shifts, and sufficient financial resources must be enforced to ensure practicing the profession according to our human values.”

Deteriorating mental health among healthcare workers leads to loss of work capacity, with up to 40% of those with depressive symptoms taking sick leave in the past year, and between 11% and 34% considering quitting their jobs. This workforce decline affects care quality, increases patient waiting times, and threatens the stability of health systems.

Dr. Natasha Azoulay Muscat, Director of Health Systems at WHO/Europe, said: “Pressures may vary between countries, but the impact on mental health is global. Mental health of workers should be considered a core indicator of health system performance, just like patient safety or hospital capacity.”

Estimates indicate Europe may face a shortage of about 940,000 healthcare workers by 2030 if urgent measures are not taken to address the current situation.

To tackle these threats, the report offers seven key recommendations aimed at improving work environments and caring for the mental health of healthcare workers.

Recommendations include strict policies of zero tolerance for any form of workplace violence, improving shift schedule flexibility and predictability to reduce burnout, ensuring work-rest balance, fair management of overtime, building a positive and sustainable work culture, addressing excessive workloads through effective hiring strategies and balanced task distribution, training leaders and holding them accountable for supporting worker wellbeing, expanding access to confidential and stigma-free psychological support to ensure better mental health, and conducting regular monitoring to report on healthcare worker wellbeing and measure intervention impacts.

The WHO/Europe Regional Director stresses that “the wellbeing of healthcare workers is the cornerstone of providing safe and high-quality care to every patient.”