Peter Baldwin

When the COVID-19 pandemic took a hold on our lives, it shaped the wellbeing of our healthcare workers – many of whom reported feeling a sense of burnout as a result.

In 2020, Black Dog Institute launched The Essential Network (TEN) to help healthcare workers manage burnout and other mental health challenges of the pandemic. Nearly three years on, TEN is still needed now as much as it was then.

To date, more than 82,000 healthcare workers have visited the e-health hub via the Black Dog Institute website and over 15,000 digital mental health assessments have been completed. The free telehealth clinic has seen over 200 healthcare workers who have collectively completed over 600 consultations with a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist. The clinic sees approximately 25 new patients each month and almost all use the five free telehealth sessions available. These sessions are not accessed through Medicare and healthcare workers do not require a referral to access them, so they can rest assured they’re completely confidential.

Of all healthcare workers, NSW nurses have used the TEN clinical service the most and were the largest cohort to complete a digital mental health assessment. This potentially reflects the fact that nurses are the largest single group of healthcare workers but also indicates the ongoing strain nurses are under. Medical trainees represented the second largest group using the TEN clinical service, but interestingly only made up a small percentage of those completing a digital mental health assessment.

An evaluation of an earlier version of TEN showed good service acceptability and small but significant improvements in psychological distress. However, the program did not seem to help manage the most widespread challenge facing health professionals: burnout. This finding prompted Black Dog Institute to develop Navigating Burnout – an evidence-based online program for healthcare workers experiencing burnout. Since its launch in April 2022, over 2000 health professionals have accessed the program.

It is promising to see so many healthcare workers seeking help through TEN, and is vital to help more healthcare workers find resources and support to manage burnout and maintain good mental health. For more information, visit blackdoginstitute.org.au/ten.