Supporting the mental health of frontline health care workers
“The mental health crisis among health care workers is really critical at this moment. … With the COVID-19 pandemic, that problem was compounded significantly.” – Andrea Dunne-Sosa, Senior Regional Director, Project HOPE
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of health care workers. Since the beginning of the pandemic, these workers have witnessed and experienced significant losses, poor work conditions, and elevated stress, which has increased the prevalence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Addressing the mental health crisis, also referred to as the invisible pandemic, is made even more difficult by the stigma that surrounds mental health issues and conditions, especially among health care workers.
To address the growing crisis, Project HOPE is providing mental health and resilience trainings for health care workers across the globe. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy awarded multiple grants totaling $1.5 million from the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund to Project HOPE to support the implementation and expansion of their Mental Health and Resilience Training program in over 40 countries.
The program raises awareness of mental health and builds capacity at the local stakeholder level, partnering with governments, academic and professional training institutes, health ministries, and civil society actors so that they can continue to deliver the curriculum after the project. It educates health care workers about identifying mental health signs and symptoms and the importance of self-care, and helps them develop new skills to help themselves and others.
Watch this video created by Project HOPE to learn more about their work and its impact:
The program is available in more than 20 languages and has been implemented in over 30 countries, reaching more than 60,000 health care workers so far. Project HOPE’s long-term goal is to continue to deploy the program during future disasters and humanitarian crises, giving health workers a critical lifeline when needed most. The latest CDP grant supported Project Hope’s plan to extend the program to COVID-19 frontline health workers in 11 of the most fragile and complex humanitarian emergency countries, where it is needed most.
CDP is proud to support Project Hope’s efforts to help tens of thousands of people, who are providing critical health care around the world, fight stigma and improve and maintain their mental health.