Where to Get Help

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Ask for Help: The When, Where, and How for Mental Health Needs

Nurse anesthetists, like other health care professionals, can experience occupational hazards of stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (See news and data on the prevalence of issues impacting CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist mental health below.)

Self-care is important, along with learning healthy coping mechanisms in both your personal and professional life.​

When feelings or symptoms affect your ability to function, seek professional advice. Teletherapy options are expanding and more readily available.

AANA Helpline

The AANA Helpline—800-654-5167—is available 24/7 for a live, confidential response with support, information, and helpful resources.

For a crisis with potential immediate risk for harm to yourself or others, call 911 or 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

AANA HelpLine Cards
Visit the AANA Bookstore under "Free Member Resources" to order Helpline cards in packs of 25.

Helpful Resources

Teletherapy and Professional Counseling

Drug- or Alcohol-related Help

Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Help

Recent Data on CRNA-related Mental Health Issues

CRNA Issues

Nursing Issues
  • American Nurses Foundation Two Year Impact Assessment: 30% of the 12,694 nurses who completed the survey state they are “not emotionally healthy” or “not at all emotionally healthy.” Nurses under 35 report even more startling findings. March 2022
  • ANA survey from October 2021 which assessed over 9,500 nurses:
    • 75% of nurses across all roles feel “stressed”
    • 68% have had difficulty sleeping
    • 30% rate their emotional health as “not healthy”
  • American Nurses Foundation One Year Impact Assessment: In the 14 days prior to the survey, 51% of nurses reported exhaustion, 23% reported depression. Read the summary from MedPage Today. March 2021
  • International Council of Nurses: 76% of the world’s nurses have reported exhaustion and burnout. January 2021
  • ANA survey: 50% frontline nurses emotionally overwhelmed by COVID-19. 30% depression and >70% sleep challenges. July 2020

Healthcare Professionals Issues
  • The World Health Organization found at least 25% of health and care workers reported anxiety, depression, and burnout symptoms as a result of pandemic. October 2022
  • U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory addressing health worker burnout. May 2022
  • The Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) lists clinician mental health as a top threat to patient safety. March 2022
  • Healthcare Dive shares more than half of healthcare workers report being burned out, while nearly a quarter are considering quitting their jobs in the near future. February 2022
  • Spok, a global leader in healthcare communications, reports that 96% of clinicians have experienced burnout. Download the free 2021 report “Burnout in healthcare: A report for today’s leaders” here. November 2021
  • The CDC surveyed over 26,000 public health workers and found that the prevalence of PTSD symptoms were 10-20% higher than in previous reports. Approximately one-half experienced symptoms of a mental health condition in the 2 weeks before the survey. July 2021
  • 3,607 US healthcare workers died from COVID-19, as of April 2021. The majority of this number were nurses, at 32%.
  • The Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation polled more than 1,300 frontline healthcare workers where COVID-19 has negatively affected mental health in 62% of participants. Only 13% stated they have received mental health services. April 2021
  • National Academy of Medicine (NAM) President Victor Dzau, MD describes the current and future impact on healthcare workers for the LA Times. March 2021
  • Factors among Chinese healthcare workers: depression for nurses and physicians 50%, anxiety 45%, insomnia 34%, and COVID-19 distress 71%. March 2020

Disclaimer

​​​The resources on this page may incorporate or summarize views, guidelines, or recommendations of third parties. Such material is assembled and presented in good faith, but does not necessarily reflect the views of the AANA. Links to third-party websites are inserted for informational purposes and do not constitute endorsement of the material on those sites, or of any associated organization.